The Legend of Zelda: Advent of Darkness
by The Mauve Lantern
Summary: Eight years have passed since Link left Hyrule in search of Navi. Now, he returns to find that an evil force has usurped the throne and wants to steal Ganon's dark powers. Will the Hero of Time be able to save Hyrule from the greatest evil yet?
1. Prologue: The Eastern Tower

**The Legend of Zelda: Advent of Darkness**

By The Mauve Lantern

**Prologue: The Eastern Tower**

High atop the regal tower in the ancient palace, Zelda, the princess of the land of Hyrule, gazed out at all that lay in her dominion. From her window she could see the very top of Death Mountain, the crystal-clear water of Zora River, and the mighty trees that grew in Kokiri Forest. Her chamber stood at the highest point in the tower and it overlooked the courtyard in the palace. If she were to look below, she could find the garden that she played in years ago, when she was but a child.

She turned to look around the room, as she had done many times in the past months. Her hands traced along the ivory desk that was near the window, across the piles of papers that were filled with knowledge and wisdom. The painting of her family solemnly watched her as she watched it. Her bed was in the corner, white and pristine, the sheets folded neat and proper. Aged stones formed the walls, which were lined with candles that flickered softly in the darkness.

A drop of rain shook Zelda from her viewing, and she turned and closed the ornate windows before the storm came. The shut windows seemed to make the scene even more fitting.

_A prison is a prison_, the princess thought to herself.

The sound of knocking came from the door. "Princess Zelda," said the guard outside, "I have your dinner with me!"

"Leave it outside," she replied. "I am not hungry."

"Suit yourself." The guard left the metal tray outside the large wooden doors and then resumed his position outside the room.

Zelda sighed. "It does not matter, I suppose," she mumbled as she moved to the large mirror near her bed. The crystal displayed her reflection, and Zelda was dismayed at what she saw. Her tan skin had grown pale, her corn-colored hair had turned a dark amber color, her eyes had dark bags under them, and her body was frailer than it had ever been. Even her dress reflected the abysmal mood of the princess, the colors having been dulled and grayed with time. Her pristine white gown had been smudged with dust and dirt, the regal violet smeared with the blood of her slain guardsmen, and her gloves turned dingy. This was not who she was. She was the princess of Hyrule, who, according to prophecy, was the Seventh Sage. Now she was but a prisoner in her own palace.

The rain was now falling much harder outside. It bombarded the windows, drumming against them like a madman. Along with the rain came the dark clouds that blotted out the sun, creating a darkness akin to midnight. This was what Zelda was waiting for. She crossed the room and stopped at her bed, then got down to the ground and crawled underneath it. There, in the mattress, she found a slight hole. The princess tugged on the sides of the hole and opened it wider and wider until the opening was twice as large. She began to withdraw several items from the mattress, including an indigo tunic, a white cowl, and blue leggings. Her items in hand, Zelda crawled out from the bed and placed the garments onto the mattress.

"Perfect," she mumbled as she fingered the silk-like cloth in her hands. She grabbed the white cowl first and examined it: the thing was dingy, not unlike her own dress, though the cowl was ragged around the edges. It was like a vest of some kind and it included a hood that would cover her head. On the front was a violet background that displayed a familiar crest. This crest was red in color, and it was shaped like an eye with a teardrop underneath it; three triangles over the eye completed the design.

"Tonight," the princess said softly, "the Sheikah will fight again…"

***

Outside the princess's chamber, two guards in glistening silver armor stood at attention, ready to keep people from entering the room and from leaving the room. The guards were bored, and questioned why they had been made to guard a defenseless woman such as the princess.

"I have to wonder," said one guard to the other, "what his Majesty is thinking."

"What do you mean?" asked his companion.

"I find it incredibly hard to believe that someone like Princess Zelda, known for her infinite wisdom and clarity, could possibly have gone mad!" The first guard shook his head. "It's just--"

Before he could finish, a faint melody reached his and the other guard's ears. It was a soothing melody, like a lullaby that would be used to put a child to sleep. From the sound of it, the tune came from a harp behind the doors. The first guard yawned and his friend did the same.

"Heh," the second guard chuckled as his eyelids began to droop, "I haven't heard this song in a long time…"

"That's right, it's that lullaby Miss Impa used to…used…to…siiiiiiiing…"

Both guards fell against the wall, their bodies succumbing to the effects of the lullaby. Neither of them noticed the bedroom chamber doors open, nor did they see the figure that stepped out.

This mysterious figure was a tall, lean male of roughly twenty years of age, who had most of his face covered by a white scarf that wrapped around the lower half of his face. A white bandana was tied upon his head of amber-colored hair, most of which was tied back behind the man's head save for a small amount that covered half of his face. He was wearing an indigo tunic that clung to his figure, and dark blue pants that shared the same properties. Small pieces of leather armor covered his leg and arm muscles, and white cloth was wrapped around his hands to protect them from injury. A white vest bearing the mark of the Sheika rested upon his figure, and a hood was pulled over his head.

"Forgive me, my friends," he whispered to the slumbering guards, "but I must relieve you of your weapons." The young man removed a small sword from the first guard and a broadsword from the second. When both these items were tied to his person, the young man crept down the hallway, his shoes making nary a sound. He snuck down the stone steps until he came to a window that was high above his head; with an incredible leap, the man made it to the windowsill.

The rain immediately pelted the man as he opened the window, and before long, he was soaked from head to toe. He stole upon the blue rooftops of the palace, his footsteps drowned out by the heavy rain. Occasionally, he would be forced to wipe away his blonde hair that matted against his face, but he never slowed down; he had to reach the eastern tower before the end of the storm, no matter what.

There was no impediment, until the giant vultures in the sky took notice of the wandering human. One such bird of prey decided to swoop in and attack the man, but he was quicker than the dreadful creature. He swiftly tore the broadsword from its scabbard and slashed the bird from beak to belly before it could move in for an attack. The other vultures made a move to attack, and they were likewise disposed by dreadful sword swipes that rent the birds apart, leaving the man coated in sticky blood that clung to his clothes in spite of the rain.

As he moved along the slippery roof, the spry young man came upon a small group of guards that were gathered atop the stone ramparts. These men had cloaks wrapped around their bodies to keep the rain off, but did little good against the gusty winds. Unfortunately, the sound of a harp would be drowned out in this kind of storm, so it was impossible for the man to knock out the guards with music; he would have to resort to violence again. With great stealth, he ran to the guards and snuck up on them as they conversed with each other.

One shouted to the others, "I tells ya, it's been awful weather lately!"

"I know!" replied the one in the middle. "What do you think is causing this?"

"Don't know," grumbled the third. "Could be those blasted Rito coming in and changing things with their aero magic or whatever…"

"Are you still going on about that?" asked the second. "What's your problem with them?"

The third guard grunted, "As things stand right now, we Hyruleans are at peace with the other tribes. I hate the idea that, when ambassadors come, I've got to take orders from fish, from children, and now, birds! It's enough to make me sick!"

All three guards struck up an argument with each other, not noticing the man who had snuck up behind them. With great speed, the young man punched the first guard in the back and struck the ribcage of the second guard with the sword scabbard, leaving only the last guard, who had realized that his companions were defeated.

"Y-You monster!" he cried. "Wh-Wh-What do you w-w-w-want?!"

The young man did not respond, and instead, he dropped low to the floor and kicked the guard's legs out from under him. His balance lost, the guard fell to the ground and hit his head against the stone floor; his helmet did little to cushion the impact of the fall. A pool of blood seeped out from the helmet. The young man sighed and opened a bottle that was hanging from his waist. In the glass container was a thick red liquid that was made from the finest mushrooms in Hyrule. He tipped the bottle to the fallen guard's lips and the red potion vanished into his body in a moment. The blood flow stopped and the man began to breathe again; his life was saved.

With the guard safe again, the young man continued his trek along the rooftop. Once, he had to stop another guard from spotting him, and he also had to deal with the vultures that had come out to feed. At last, he reached the wooden bridge that led from the ramparts to the eastern tower, where the man's destiny lay. He ran for the bridge and found that it was swinging wildly in the breeze. Suddenly, at the end of the bridge appeared a large, bulky creature that had the body of a man, but the head of a brutish dog. It chuckled grimly and revealed it held an axe in its hands. The man's eyes shot open. He knew he did not have much time, so he ran as fast as he could across the bridge, but he only made it halfway before the monster used his massive axe to tear apart the end of the bridge, making it collapse. If he did not do something, the man would end up dead.

Thinking quickly, the man summoned all the strength in his legs and shot up into the sky, propelling himself up and out, so that he not only flew to the other side, he also flew overhead of the monster. When he had a clear shot at the beast's head, the man threw the short sword through the air. It embedded itself in the monster's face, causing the hideous beast to scream in agony as it feebly tried to pull the blade from its head. The monster stumbled in its pain until it reached the edge of the tower's top. A kick from the young man sent the beast to its death at the bottom.

"Who allowed these Moblins to become guards in the palace?" the man asked aloud even though he knew no one could hear him. "The situation has become even worse than I imagined…"

Now standing atop the eastern tower, the masked man walked around the top until he came upon a wooden door that led inside. He pushed the door open and slowly crept inside, only to be assaulted by the keese that haunted the tower. The man growled and sliced one of the bats with his sword, then another and another, until they all were slain, vanishing in a cloud of black smoke. This time, he did not sheathe his sword, as the possibility of running into more monsters became a reality.

He walked through the circular room until he came to a set of stairs that went down below, and then he crept quietly down into the next room, which was a circular room with a metal floor. It was sparsely decorated save for a few boxes here and there, though there were a few weapons that had been left unattended. The room, and in fact, the whole tower, reeked of mildew, decay, and even some foul water that seeped in from the sewers, which the tower was connected to. To block out the foul smells, the man pulled the cloth around his face tighter.

As he crept down the stairwell, the man came across another set of flying keese, though these were dispatched just as easily as the ones in the room above. Further down the steps, a more difficult obstacle presented itself in the form of a small green beast, roughly half the size of the man, slowing pacing around and acting like a guard. The creature, a bokoblin, was carrying a large wooden club that would do considerable damage if the man could not avoid it. What made the situation worse was the fact that the steps were becoming slicker, so if the man moved too fast, he would slip and fall to his death. This had to be carefully plotted and timed just right.

The enigmatic man quietly withdrew a slingshot from the confines of his vest and aimed it for the bokoblin's head. He whispered, "Goddesses, please let this one be as dumb as its cousins," and he fired the deku seed from its sling. The nut flew straight and true, striking the monster in the head. It growled and looked for the source; when its head swiveled around, the man was discovered. The bokoblin hissed and ran up the stairs, forgetting how slick the stairs were, so before it could even reach the man, it fell off the side and plummeted down into the dark depths of the tower. It landed in the sewer water with a sickening splash that did little to drown out the sound of every bone breaking in the monster's body. His enemy vanquished, the man continued down the stairs at a much slower pace, never stopping in his trek.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the man reached a section of the steps that were broken. There was no way he could make the leap down to the other steps below, even if he used the jump from earlier. He cursed under his breath and pulled another item from his cowl. This time, it was a metal machine that was no bigger than the man's hand. It was shaped like a large egg, round all over except for the end, which was a pointed blue tip. The man held the item up before him and aimed for a section of wall that was down below. When he tightened his grip on the handle of the machine, the tip shot out and rocketed through the air on its blue chain. The tip connected with the far wall and so the man loosened his grip on the handle, allowing the chain to recoil and to pull him across the chasm. He reached the other side and landed on the ground with ease, then pulled the tip from the wall and placed the machine back inside his cowl. The man made a mental note to thank the boy who had given it to him all those years ago.

By now, the odor in the stairwell had become a thousand times stronger, and reeked worse than a herd of wild pigs in a storm. The man almost gagged in repulsion, but he pulled himself together and continued down into the dark depths of the tower. Once or twice, he passed by a black rat that scampered around on the slimy stairs, but he paid no mind to the vermin until the creature bit his ankle. He stabbed downward with his sword and skewered the pest before the rat dissolved into black dust. This happened more than once, although the man was quicker each time in order to avoid being bitten again.

After the long trek, the man finally reached the base of the stairs. At the bottom, the tower looked a lot different: there was grime that clung to the walls like putrid cobwebs, and the floors were caught in the shallows of the sewer water, making the man stand in black water that covered his feet completely. The water gave off a vile odor and the sight of the dead bokoblin floating in the sewage did not help matters. And without any source of light, the sewers were nearly pitch-black. The mysterious man held his hands before him and chanted softly, "Kyram Din, seffar!" Instantly, a small ball of fire sparked within in his palms. Now that there was light, the man entered the tunnel that led into the sewers.

He crept along the corridor, his feet splashing through the foul liquid beneath him. There were no beasts down here: no rats, no keese, and no bokoblins. The man was thankful for this, as he knew that, should he engage in combat before he reached his destination, the ball of fire would go out and he would have to use more of his magical energy to get it started again. Where he was going, he needed to conserve his power as much as he could.

A turn around the left corner and the man saw that he had, at last, reached his destination. There, at the end of the hall, was a wooden door, built above the water line that was made of a black wood that blended in with the dank sewer walls. It had plain black hinges and a brass handle; it seemed to be an ordinary door. When the man hurled his ball of fire at the door, the wooden structure exploded and dissolved into black dust. It was a fake, a monster merely pretending to be a door. Behind it was the real thing, and, though it looked the same as the fake, there was a lack of a shine to it.

The man crept up to the wooden door, braced himself before turning the handle, and then pulled the door open slowly, with all the grace and finesse of a doctor. Inside was inky blackness, not unlike the sewers outside. The man lit another ball of fire in his hands and used the light to look around. From what he could see, there were torches lining the walls of the room. If they were lit, they would provide a better light than the sickly ember in the man's hands.

Treading lightly, the man walked to the torch closest to him and placed the ball of fire into the kindling. Instantly, the wood lit up in flames and illuminated a small portion of the room. With the torch lit, the man chanted, "Kyram nu Din, seffor," and the ember in his hands vanished. He looked to the ground and found the wooden shaft of a spear lying on the black stones, discarded, so he picked it up and held it close to the torch. When the end of the stick was set aflame, the man walked over to the next unlit torch and held the shaft against the kindling, adding another light to the room. This continued for a moment as the man walked around the room, setting each torch ablaze, until the room was filled with a soft, orange glow.

The room was cold and nightmarish to behold. There were suits of armor, still occupied, lying upon the floor, their owners nothing more than skeletons. The floor was coated in a dark substance that the man could only assume to be the spilled blood of the soldiers. Their weapons were discarded about the room, broken into pieces for the most part. A large wooden door was on the other side of the room, past the field of bodies and mangled weapons. It would only be a short walk to the door, but when the man got halfway through the room, the door he came through was slammed shut. He spun around quickly and was met by the flat side of an axe. The man fell to the ground a good distance from his attacker.

Standing there, towering over everything in the room was something that looked like a man, but was actually a demon of great power. It was composed of various pieces of armor from all corners of Hyrule: brass gloves, boots and leg coverings, iron armor covering the torso, and a chain mail battle kilt that fell to where its knees would be. An iron mask with holes in the front covered the monster's face, and there were two horns that were planted atop the crimson helm it wore. The enormous axe in its hands was like a toy to the beast. It was said to have strength unrivaled by even the mightiest Gorons. There was a name given to this beast: the Iron Knuckle.

"Damnation," the man whispered. He pulled the broadsword from its scabbard and steadied himself. Fighting a Moblin was one thing; fighting an Iron Knuckle was completely different. An Iron Knuckle was basically a living suit of armor, lacking in any muscle or flesh; to defeat it, one had to have the power to survive against it. Had the slain guards at the man's feet fallen victim to the monster's blade? He did not have long to ponder this, for the Iron Knuckle had begun to advance towards the man.

The man leaped away from the beast's axe, and he tucked and rolled along the ground, then leaped up and struck at the Iron Knuckle in its unprotected back. It grunted in frustration and then turned around and stomped towards the man. He had learned, through training with his master, that the Iron Knuckle, while very powerful, was also very slow, so one could take advantage of this if they were fast enough to dodge its blade. To protect himself from much harm, the man held his hands before him and began to chant softly.

"Quell'dia nu Nayru, ilruk!" When he finished, a blue diamond formed around the man's body. It was a spell that granted him the protection of Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, and it would fare him well against the Iron Knuckle. The man ran forward and immediately leapt out of the path of the monster's axe then spun around and dealt another blow to the monster's back. It growled again and spun around, trying to hit the man in the head with the flat of its axe blade, but the man was faster, and he ducked below the blade and slashed upwards with his broad sword, leaving a good slice in the monster's chest armor. A deeper growl emitted from the bowels of the monster as it brought its axe overhead to try and cleave the man apart, but this was another mistake on the Iron Knuckle's part. The man leapt to its left side and delivered another slice into the monster, making the beast howl in pain.

Black smoke began to emit from the monster, and the man thought that he had beaten the beast, but he was shocked to find that it was not beaten yet. The large, bulky armor that the Iron Knuckle was wearing fell from its body and it stood in thinner armor that allowed for greater mobility. Now ten times faster, the Iron Knuckle rushed the man and smashed the blue crystal around the man's body, lessening the pain dealt to the man, but still throwing him into the wall. The man picked himself up off the floor and just barely steadied himself before the monster attacked again, this time throwing the axe at the man. The metal weapon collided with his head and sent the man into one of the torches, knocking the structure onto the floor. He rubbed his head to try and alleviate the pain, but the monster was once again attacking him, leaving him not an instant to recover. After a powerful punch was delivered by the monster, the man began to work out a plan to stop the beast. He could see how the beast moved, when it stopped to recover from its attacks, and when it would strike. With this knowledge, the man reached for his sword and blocked a punch from the Iron Knuckle.

As the blue light around the man began to fade, he knew that he had to end the fight soon and avoid getting hit anymore, so he decided to go through with his plan. He lured the Iron Knuckle towards him, then, just as the beast was about to punch, the man ducked out of the way and rolled onto the floor. He jumped up off the ground and delivered a spinning blow to the monster's side, cutting deeply into the thin armor that protected it. This time, the monster reeled in pain before coming back to attack. It grabbed its giant axe from the floor and threw it at the man, but the man saw the weapon coming and he ducked underneath. When the Iron Knuckle closed in, he jumped up and slashed upwards with his sword, cutting into the beast's belly. Black smoke began to seep out of its wounds; it would be dead in just a few more strikes.

The man moved away from the fist flying towards him and he cut into the monster's other side, receiving a growl of frustration and agony in return. When it charged at him again, the man rolled along the ground and slashed at the monster's legs, cutting through its giant boots. The Iron Knuckle began to slow down in its movements, so the man took advantage of this and ran behind the beast. He jumped into the air and delivered a downward strike straight into the Iron Knuckle's back with enough power to pierce through the beast's armor all the way to the chest. The Iron Knuckle gave a piercing shriek of pain before crumpling to the ground, its body dissolving into black smoke.

With the monster dead, the man leaned against the black wall and plopped down onto the ground, his body too weak to move. After using three magic spells, one of which consuming twice as much as the other, the man was tired and needed to rest before continuing into the next room. He reached down into his cowl in the hopes of finding another red potion, but the man discovered that, during the fight, his last bottle had been smashed by the Iron Knuckle. Red liquid stained his tunic and his hands; it was of no use to him now. The man sighed and looked around the room, trying to find a pot or something that might contain a something helpful. He spied a pot in the corner of the room, so he used his egg-shaped device to smash through the clay creation, but all that was inside was a green rupee. There was the skull of a monster lying near the door leading into the next room. When the man shot the skull, it broke apart and let out a small, pink fairy.

"Goodness!" the tiny creature exclaimed. "How did I wind up in THERE?" It flittered around in the air for a moment, adapting to its surroundings, and then it noticed the man lying against the wall in pain.

"Mister," it asked, "were you the one who freed me?"

"Yes," the man replied, his voice raspy and wanting for air.

"Thank you ever so much! Oh my! You're injured!" The pink fairy fluttered over to the man and settled down in front of his face. "I know what you need," it said. "You need to be healed!"

The fairy flew around the man's head, shaking its gossamer wings and showering the man with soft pink light. It filled the man with warmth and rejuvenation, closing his wounds and tending to his broken bones. When the light faded away, the man pushed himself off the ground and stretched his body out, feeling fresh and renewed.

"Well, that takes care of that!" the fairy giggled. "You be careful now!" It flew through the black walls of the room, off to places unknown, leaving the man all by his lonesome again. Now that he had been healed, the man was ready to proceed to the next room in the tower.

He opened the door into the next room and found that there were lit torches in the walls, like someone had been through here recently. The room was still black and covered in filth that had accumulated over time, and there was a wooden door on the other side, but there were not so many bodies littering the floor here, though there was still a large amount of blood. In the grimy walls were three holes, each large enough to hold a full-grown sheep. Each housed something that was giving off a whining hum, and the man had a vague idea about what the humming was coming from. To make matters worse, the room was long but quite narrow, allowing room for only five stout men to stand shoulder-to-shoulder at the most. The room was very straight-forward, but, as the man knew, not everything was at it seemed.

The enigmatic man took a step into the hall and, right away, had to step back in order to avoid being crushed by the blade that came from the hole in the wall. He watched as the blade, almost tauntingly, moved along the track in the floor, back into the hole in the wall, and waited for the man to cross the path again. This was where the blood on the floor and walls had come from. When the man looked down the narrow room, he saw that the holes in the walls were alternating, one on the left, one on the right, and one in the left at the very end. To get through the hall, the man would have to time his steps perfectly; one wrong move and he would be dead in an instant.

He twisted his neck to the left and right, cracking the joints, and then ran forward onto the first track. As the blade came out, the man jumped up into the air, leaping away from the blade and flying right to the next track. When he hit the ground, the man tucked his body into a ball and rolled along the ground, narrowly avoiding the second blade. He stood up and ran towards the final track, but stopped just before he stepped on the track and triggered the blade. The man looked at the left wall and saw the hole where the blade would come from, and then he looked at the right wall, where there was no blood stain. This seemed out of place to the man so he took his sword from its sheath and tapped the track with it.

Two blades burst from the walls and crushed the sheath, proving the man's guess correct: there was a hidden hole in the wall, where a second gear was waiting. The man ran forward and jumped into the air again, easily avoiding the twin blades. Wanting to leave the dangerous room, the man opened the wooden door and walked into the room that, hopefully, was the last.

The new room was different than the previous two: the stones in the floor were a dark blue, like the evening sky, and the walls were made of a white rock that was like a dead man's flesh. A row of torches lined the ghastly walls, illuminating the room greatly, though the man wished that there was no light at all. The room was filled with prison cells, each one holding someone who worked in the palace. Every servant, every guard loyal to the crown was kept here, and, though the man wished that he could help them all, he was here for one person: the royal princess's bodyguard, Impa.

He walked down the row of cells, passing by sleeping bodies of all kinds, before coming to a cell at the very end of the room. It was small, holding no more than a single person, and the light barely scattered the shadows that accumulated in the cell. Thick iron bars kept the prisoner from escaping, but she would not have been able to leave if she tried.

Impa was a strong woman, having been trained by the greatest Sheikah of history, so she was shackled to the ground. Iron cuffs were locked around her wrists, and the cuffs were linked to chains that were trapped in the ground. The same shackles were around her ankles, making her virtually immobile. But if the man's plan worked, she would be free.

The man clicked twice against her cell bars, and in the darkness, Impa, rapped her knuckles upon the blue floor. He tapped upon the cells four times, and then Impa whispered, "I'm glad you came, Sheik. You have done well."

"I cannot stay long," he replied. "I have come to set you free."

"Set me free?" she whispered harshly. "Don't be a fool! I can survive here; they will kill YOU if they find out what you have done."

"They will not kill me," the man said. "I am too important to their plans."

"I swear, you are just like your mother."

"What was that story you used to tell me?" asked the man. "About how she helped you to steal some milk from the ice box?"

Even in the darkness, the man could see Impa smiling fondly. "Well," she said, "I was but a child, and so was your mother, and she decided one day that she wanted to have some milk. Unfortunately, the chef would not let us near the ice box, saying that he was saving the milk for dinner that night. When he left the kitchen, we snuck in and she pried open the lock by using a sewing needle her attendant had given her. We stole the milk right out of the box and split it in the castle garden. The chef was absolutely furious, but your grandfather and my father just laughed at our ingenuity."

While Impa was going on, the man held his hands together and mumbled under his breath. He spoke so softly that he believed Impa would not hear him, but her hearing had not gone away in the past eight years.

"I can hear you just fine," the older woman said. "I know what you're doing, and I won't have any of it."

"Impa, please listen to me. I don't have a lot of time. They will surely be searching for me by now; you need to get out of here and find him. He's the only one who can help us now."

"But no one has seen him for years!" she exclaimed. "How am I to find him?!"

"Wait in Kakariko," the man told her, "If I know him like I think I do, that will be the first place he visits."

"Sheik, you can't do this!" Impa was almost on the verge of shouting now. "I won't let you-"

The man bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Impa, but I knew you wouldn't like this. That's why I cast the spell while you were talking. Forgive me."

He closed his eyes and said, "Rinta nu Farore, devlac kelfe Impa!" A soft green light sprung from the man's hands and hovered over Impa's head. With the light, he could see her eyes. She was scared, absolutely terrified. Not for herself, but for him. Impa would be safe, but the man might not survive to see the storm pass.

"Sheik, stop!" screamed Impa. "STOP-"

In a bright flash, Impa vanished, her shackles left behind in the cell. The noise disturbed the others in their cells, and they looked out and saw the masked man walking quickly out of the room, back into the room filled with blades. Even though he hid it well, the man was just as scared as Impa had been. They might just have him killed for this.

***

When the man made it through the blade room and opened the door into the room where the Iron Knuckle was defeated, he was grabbed by a pair of Moblins that had been waiting on the other side of the door. The beasts dragged him forward and threw him onto the floor in front of a very old man.

The man was ancient in every sense of the word. His skin was as dry and decrepit as a bone, his flesh the same color as the prison walls. The cloak wrapped around his aged form was something that was only seen in ancient paintings of old Hyrule. He hobbled along with a gnarly cane and he wheezed with very tiny step he took. Still, the unmistakable aura of evil oozed from the old man, and it was enough to make Sheik want to vomit.

"So," the old man said breathily, "you are the one who assaulted the guards outside of Princess Zelda's chambers, yes? That was a very, very foolish thing to do."

Sheik growled, "You will not win this war, Agahnim. You have no power!"

The old man laughed, revealing his yellowed teeth. His breath was like that of a rotting corpse. "Fool. I have ALREADY won. I already control the palace, and, with time, I shall seize the rest of Hyrule as well. And the one who could have stopped me, The Hero of Time, has been missing for years."

"He shall return," said Sheik, "I know he will."

"We shall see, then, Sheik," Agahnim hissed. "We shall see. But you will never live to see the hero return." He said to the Moblins, "Take him away and lock him in the catacombs."

The old man turned and began to hobble out of the room as he said, "And then I want a search done for Zelda! She is to be returned to me ALIVE, do you understand? I will not allow failure on this!"

When he left the room and the Moblin guards, he turned to his right and looked at a man standing next to the door. The man was wearing a regal, blue uniform that had intricate gold designs all around the chest and on the hem of the sleeves and collar. His pants were similar in appearance, with the same designs running up the sides of the pants and on the hem of the legs. A golden belt was wrapped around his waist, and an indigo scabbard was locked into the belt. He wore brown boots that were sullied by trudging through the sewer water and an azure cape that had the Hyrulian crest on the back. A long, blue hat sat atop his head, covering some of his long, crimson hair. He bowed deeply to Agahnim as the old man passed by him.

"You have my gratitude, Captain Ralph," the old man said to the man in blue. "Had you not told me about the guards atop the ramparts, we might not have caught this foolish criminal."

"My lord, it is an honor to serve you," Ralph replied as he doffed his hat to the ancient man.

"I have your next mission," Agahnim wheezed.

"What is it, sir?"

"You are to find the Hero of Time and strike him down. I do not believe that he has returned, but I shall take no chances. Find him…and kill him."

Ralph bowed once again. "Yes, sir," he said as he stood up and walked down the dark sewers once more.


	2. Chapter 1: Return to Hyrule

**Chapter 1: Return to Hyrule**

In the early morning, when the children of the night returned to the earth for their slumber and the keese flew back to their homes to rest, when a gentle wind blew through the Hyrule Field and lightly touched the green, dew-stained grass, a rider appeared from the south. He came on a tall, brown horse that trotted slowly along the dirt roads leading into the great field, wearing a large, green cloak around his body to keep out the autumn chill. The hood on his cloak had been pulled back so that he might warm his face in the sunlight. Rays of heat licked at his tanned skin, his blonde hair, and it filled the man with energy for the new day. His gloved hands gripped onto the horse's reins as he pulled them back to stop her. The rider dismounted from the horse and stooped down to the side of a small pond, cupping his hands to steal some water from the pool of blue liquid. He splashed some of the cool water upon his face, and then he looked down at the mirror surface and stared at his reflection.

His appearance had changed much since he was last in Hyrule. His murky, blue eyes no longer sparkled with child-like naïveté, but instead reflected the brave determination of a seasoned warrior. Gone was the impish, mischievous grin of the past; his face was kept in a stoic lock, not relinquishing a single emotion. He had pierced his long, pointed ears a few years ago, at the insistence of a pirate girl he had met while traveling the Eastern Sea; small, silver hoops dangled at the bottom of each ear now. There were dark bags under his eyes from his many sleepless nights, wondering where he was and if he would ever return home.

The rider's horse stooped down to drink from the pond and disturbed the man's reflection, breaking the water with ripples. He stood up and patted the horse's mane, then decided to discard his cloak. Underneath, he wore a green tunic that was missing its sleeves, a chainmail shirt that he had acquired from said pirate girl, white pants that were torn all over, and thick, brown boots that were caked with mud. A broken ocarina dangled from his neck, and when the man touched the item, the years seemed to catch up to him as he sighed wearily and mounted his horse once again. He pulled a long, green hat from his satchel and placed it atop his head as the horse rode down the path, onto the familiar field once again. From the path, the man could make out the blue-roofed castle in the distance; he would go there first, now that he had come home.

It was just past sunrise when Link, the Hero of Time, returned to the land of Hyrule.

***

"_I promise, I will return," said Link to Zelda, who looked at him with sad eyes that betrayed her playful nature._

_Eight years ago, the young Link stood just outside the fortress-like walls to Hyrule Castle Town. Beside him stood his faithful steed Epona, obtained from the Lon Lon Ranch, which Link had just visited. After his odyssey through the bleak and apocalyptic future of Hyrule, Link had gone around to the various places he had visited before, obtaining information and giving items to people. He had returned to the Kokiri Forest and given his wooden shield to Mido and his slingshot to Saria. He had relinquished his Goron's Bracelet to Darunia and told Biggoron the secret to making a strong blade in three days time. He offered his boomerang and his Golden Scale to Princess Ruto of the Zora tribe; she happily accepted them as gifts. Even the Gerudo guards allowed him into their camp so that he might tell Nabooru what secrets lay hidden in the Spirit Temple. So, here he was, heart heavy with sadness, but ready to depart from Hyrule in search of Navi, his lost friend._

_It was not more than three weeks ago that Link had defeated Ganon and the King of Evil had been banished to the Dark Realm, but Link had spent most every moment thinking of Navi and wondering where she had departed to. She had stayed with him until he placed the Master Sword back in its resting place, and then she departed to places unknown. Saria had told him that it might have been because, since his mission was over, Link did not need Navi anymore, but she was wrong. Navi was a dear friend to him and he needed to know what had happened to her._

_Zelda smiled at him through teary eyes and placed the Ocarina of Time into Link's hands. He stared in shock at her, but she said, "Take it. You'll never know if you might need it." Link touched the cool, blue metal of the instrument and each and every time he used its magic to fly back and forth across Hyrule rushed back to him. Even though he was a mere ten years of age, Link already felt as old as the Great Deku Tree. How many times had he traveled back into the past and into the future? As if she could read his mind, Zelda placed a hand on Link's shoulder in order to calm him._

"_Link," she told him, "I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for this land. You've helped to destroy the greatest evil Hyrule has ever felt before. If ever you need anything, just play upon the ocarina, and I shall hear you."_

"_Pri- Zelda…thank you." Link was at a loss for words. After all, what does one say before leaving a close friend and ally, possibly forever?_

_Epona whinnied as Link climbed up onto the leather saddle Malon had provided for him, then the boy turned to Zelda and said, "I'll come back whenever Hyrule needs me."_

"_I know," she replied._

"'_Cause, really, what's a kingdom without its greatest hero?" asked Link mischievously. Zelda smiled and was comforted by the fact that, even after all he had gone through, Link was still a child at heart. _

_As Epona began to slowly clop along on the dusty trail leading away from the Castle Town, Link turned back and began to play a tune on the Ocarina of Time. The princess recognized it as a melody that Princess Ruto of the Zoras had played on a conch shell once for her; supposedly, it was a song performed at Zora weddings and after a Zora came of age in their tribe. There were words that accompanied the music, but Zelda only knew a piece._

_The melancholy melody could not be confined to just the ocarina any longer, so she began to sing, "Time passes…people move…Like a river's flow, it never ends…A childish mind will turn to noble ambition…Young love will become deep affection…The clear water's surface reflects your growth…" _

_Her soft voice, like a sweet bird locked away in a cage, carried to Link's ears as he rode off into the Field. As he finished the lonesome serenade, he struck up a quick bolero, and then a cheerful minuet, followed by a somber nocturne and a peaceful requiem that reminded him of the desert. At last, when he finished playing every song he had learned to play, when he had traveled far off the field and began towards parts unknown, Link stopped Epona and had her rest in a green meadow. The cool air of the evening clutched the boy, so he pulled his travelling cloak tight around his small body and lay against the bark of an old tree. The only sounds that reached his ears were the chirping of birds and the hum of a few insects. There was no smashing of rocks, no splashing of water, no clinking of blades, no cheerful children running about. For the first time in a long time, Link was all alone._

_In the dead of the night, under an unfamiliar tree in an unfamiliar land, the young Hyrulian boy could no longer fight back. Link wept. He cried for all the friends he had made on his journey that he might never see again. He cried for the people that had to lose their life because of Ganondorf's cruelness. He cried for his friends in the forest and in the mountain and in the lake, in the castle and in the town and in the desert. He cried for everyone he knew, but most of all, he cried for Navi. He cried until he could cry no more, and so he fell into a deep slumber that was, thankfully, free of dreams._

***

Link brushed away the memories of days long past as he rode Epona through the vast Hyrulian Field. As they travelled across the field, Link gazed about him and saw that, while some things had changed, most everything was still the same. There was no longer a fence blocking the road to Lake Hylia, but while one road had opened up, another was cut off. A group of giant boulders blocked the dirt hill that led up to the canyon that was near Gerudo Valley.

"Seems the Gerudo are as cut off from the world now as they would like," said Link to Epona, who neighed in response.

Further down the dirt path, Link heard a familiar sound: the rushing water of Zora's River. He had Epona run over to the river so that he could get a look at the crystal blue water, but when the two arrived, Link hopped off the saddle and found that the water had become a murky black, like poison or tar. He cupped some in his hands and sniffed it; it reeked of blood and vinegar.

He spilled the water from his hands and looked up and down the river. _Did something happen to the Zoras to cause this? I'll have to talk to Zelda about this…_

When he was done inspecting the water, Link hopped back onto Epona's saddle and they rode further down the road, until Link saw someone running towards him. It was a tall woman with fiery red hair that ran all the way down her back. She wore a short-sleeved, cream-colored blouse, a long, lavender skirt, and a yellow neckerchief. The woman was panicking, and, upon closer inspection, Link found the source of the fear: two bokoblins were pursuing the woman. The hideous monsters were brandishing wicked clubs that they swung about in the air above their heads. Their prey, the woman, screamed in fear.

The ugly, gremlin-like things ran across the field at a rapid pace, quickly gaining on the poor woman, but Link was quicker than they were. He shouted to the woman, "Duck and cover!" as he drew his sword from its scabbard and charged in the direction of the monsters. The woman ran a little further and then curled into a ball, while the sword swung over her head and sliced right through the head of one bokoblin. The grotesque head rolled on the ground while the body went flying, but both soon dissolved into ash. When the other bokoblin realized that its companion was no longer at his side, the monster paused and turned so that he might attack Link. He too was attacked by Link's blade.

With both monsters slain, the hero wiped his sword clean on his cloak and rode over to the woman. Link hopped down from Epona and offered his hand to the woman. "Are you all right?" he asked her as she took his hand. It was then that Link noticed something about the woman that he had missed before: her belly was pulling her dress tight; she was heavy with child. This shocked him, but what were even more surprising were the woman's blue eyes. They were like the deep waters of the Eastern Sea, and they reminded the hero of a woman he had encountered in a dream.

"Much obliged, stranger," the young woman said to Link. "They were chasing after me for 'least a mile! And let me tell you, that's mighty difficult to run when you're as big as me!" She looked at Link and scowled.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

She squinted her eyes and said, "You look mighty familiar…green clothes…Wait, it can't be you!" The woman turned to look at Epona and she walked over and pet the horse's brown mane, lightly caressing the white spot on her head. She pursed her lips together and began to whistle a soft tune to the horse; it was a tune Link had learned years ago. Whenever Epona heard the song, no matter where Link was outside, she would come running. There were only a few people who knew the song, and this woman was one of them. Epona began to lick the woman's face as she laughed happily.

"Epona! I knew it was you!" The woman turned and wrapped her arms around Link as best she could. "How have you BEEN, fairy boy?"

"M-Malon?"

Malon released Link from her tight embrace and allowed him to get a better view of the farm girl he met years ago. She had grown much taller, though not as tall as he, and looked just like she did eight years ago, when Link travelled through time. The yellow neckerchief was still wrapped around her neck, and she still had that strange dinosaur scarf toggle holding the cloth in place. A brown apron covered in red designs was wrapped around her hips to the best of its ability, and a flute stuck out of the side. When she laughed, Link honestly felt like he was ten years old again, but the feeling passed when he saw her swollen belly.

Anxious, Link rubbed the back of his head. "H-How," he stammered, "h-h-how've you been?"

"I've been just fine, Link! I'm still working at the ranch, but I don't do a whole lot, what with my…condition and all." She smiled when she said "condition". Link felt that she would make a great mother.

"Um…may I ask-"

"Who the father is?" Malon asked his question for him. "I'm not sure you know him. He's the youngest son of one of the carpenters in Kakariko Village. He used to stomp around the graveyard, pretending to be Dampé, the gravedigger, may he rest in peace. He's very sweet, always helping out around the ranch, 'cause only Din knows when my father actually WORKS!"

_Ahh…Same old Malon, same old Talon, same old…_

"What about Ingo? Is he any trouble?" asked Link. He remembered Ingo being a very snooty man in the past, always claiming to be the hardest worker on the Lon Lon Ranch, feeling like he deserved more. When Ganondorf conquered Hyrule, Ingo the ranch-hand transformed into Ingo the slave-driver, a man who ruled the ranch and only sold the finest horses, and only to Ganondorf and his minions. He had tried to keep Link from obtaining Epona, but he failed, and became docile when Talon was brought back to the ranch. Was he the same as he was years ago?

"Oh, Mr. Ingo!" Malon's smile dipped as she explained, "Well, about a year ago, a wild boar broke through the ranch wall and was threatening the horses. It nearly trampled over one of them, but Mr. Ingo was there to fight the boar. He wrestled the monster to the ground and put it into submission; he thought he had won, but, well, sometimes the goddesses are just cruel.

"The boar got up off the ground and charged Mr. Ingo from behind, running him down and trampling all over his body. His back was broken, and not even the best medicine could fix him. He's living in Kakariko Village now, where he collects vases from around the world. He's doing pretty well for himself, fairy boy. You'd be proud of him."

Link was surprised at what had happened, but he was especially shocked at how he felt sorry for Ingo. Most of his memories of the farm-hand were bad ones, but he knew that that future had been erased, and so Ingo wasn't such a cold-hearted maniac. Maybe.

"Would you like to stop by the ranch, Link?" asked Malon.

"Sorry, I'm…I'm afraid I can't."

"Why not?"

"I wanted to see the princess, let her know that I've come back."

"Ooh, good luck with that!" Malon started walking back up the dirt road, pointing in the direction of Hyrule Castle Town. "They don't let anyone in anymore unless they pay a toll!"

"What?!" exclaimed Link. "But that's ridiculous!"

"Tell me about it," Malon sighed, "but what can you do? They have to do this in order to keep out any unwanted beggars and what have you. So, how about the ranch?"

"I may as well," said Link. "I don't really have any money right now."

"What? Why not?"

A blush of embarrassment spread across Link's face as he said, "Well, I was…mugged a few days ago."

"WHAT?!?"

"It was this gang of Moblins I had encountered a few months back. I broke up their base and stole back the treasure they took from these townsfolk, so when they broke out of prison, they came to find me. They caught me in the dead of night, while I was sleeping. I fought back as best I could, but, except for my sword and shield, they took all my items and weapons. Oh, and every Rupee I had to my name!" To put greater emphasis in his story, Link made over the top movements, like swinging his arms around as if a pugilist or slashing at something with a sword.

"Poor thing!" Malon exclaimed as she giggled at Link's dramatic gestures.

"All I've got left is this old sword I received from a kindly blacksmith," he held out an aged sword that was strapped to his back, "this nearly broken shield," he said as he pointed to the cracked Hylian Shield on his back, "and the Kokiri Sword, which hasn't been very helpful for about five or six years." Link pulled the sword he had used as a child from his belt. The weapon was really more of a dagger at this point, and it had little reach, so Link used it as little as possible. "I hope you don't mind if I stop by."

"It's no trouble at all!" said Malon. "My father would love to see you again. Y'know, it's funny: even though Mambo and I are having a child, he still thinks I'm going to marry YOU! He hasn't changed at all!"

Link forced a smile onto his face. He remembered how Talon had, several years ago, offered Malon's hand to Link after he had successfully rounded up a gaggle of cuccos inside the lazy man's house. Link and Malon had thought that he meant it jokingly, but, after Link had saved the ranch from Ingo and allowed Talon to come back, the man had made the same offer. To the Link of the past, this was a crazy idea. Getting married? That was something that adults did! Now, here he was, an adult in body AND in mind, and Malon, a girl he honestly cared for, was taken.

_No, stop feeling sorry for yourself!_ Link was scolding himself in his mind. _You__ were the one who decided to leave Hyrule and travel the world in search of Navi. You have only yourself to blame for missing the opportunity. _

The two walked slowly back up the road to Lon Lon Ranch, talking the whole way about what Link had seen on his journey, how much bigger Kakariko village had become, what lies out on the Eastern Sea, and what happened to the entrance to the Gerudo Valley. At last, Link asked about Princess Zelda, and Malon frowned. She looked around, checking to make sure there was no one nearby, and then leaned in close to Link.

"Don't tell anyone ya heard this from me, fairy boy," she whispered, "but I think there's something going on in the palace."

"Why do you say that?"

"'Cause for a while, no one saw Zelda at any of the public appearances of King Daphnes for a while, and then this fellow said that she had gone mad and was locked away in one of the towers! Can you believe that? Princess Zelda, absolutely crazy?"

There was something very wrong with that statement, but only Link knew the reason why. Zelda couldn't have gone mad: she was the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, which expels all madness from the brain. While on his travels, Link had studied the Triforce and what it had endowed to him, Ganon, and Zelda, and the results were enlightening, to say the least.

"I'll have to check that out," Link said to Malon, though he knew that he couldn't do much to help Zelda in his present condition.

Malon smiled and slapped him on the back. "Whatever you're doing, do it after you get a home-cooked meal, fairy boy!"

***

Soon after, the pair arrived at the Lon Lon Ranch. Link guided Epona up the dirt path between the large rock walls, walls that he had passed through several times in the past. The old wooden sign was still hanging over the entry way, reading "Lon Lon Ranch" in big, bold letters. When he passed under the sign, Link stretched his arms above his head and relished the familiar sounds and smells of the ranch: the clucking of cuccos, the scent of sweet milk…it was all so much for the young hero.

"Waxing nostalgia there, fairy boy?" asked Malon. She smiled at Link, and was glad to see him back in Hyrule once again. Link let out a contented sigh and nodded. He was happy that the first place he visited upon returning home was the ranch.

He turned to Malon and asked, "Say, is it all right if I let Epona go? I bet she'd love to greet her old friends."

"I don't see why not!" said the plucky ranch girl. "Go right ahead!"

Link let go of the reins in his hands. Epona looked at Link, as if asking permission to go into the paddock filled with horses. The hero nodded, and Epona immediately ran off towards the other horses. Even she was glad to be back home.

Malon and Link walked up a little further before they came before a large brown house. Link remembered what the building was: it was Malon and Talon's house, where he had won a bottle of Lon Lon Milk and earned the right to marry Malon. When Ingo had been in charge, the house was completely changed, going from a simple structure to a lavish mansion of sorts. Once the ranch had returned to Talon and Malon, the house went back to the way it was. Its red shingle roof, its windows without curtains, its door with the big brass knob that creaked every time a person opened it, they were all there.

Gripping the door handle, Link turned it and pushed the door open, relishing in the squeak it made. Malon waddled into the house, one hand resting on her belly, and she made her way into the sitting area, where there was a long, red sofa and two leather chairs. The ranch girl lowered herself onto the sofa and let out a huff of air, the effort clearly taking some strength from her. Link sat across from her in a leather chair, squeezing the arm rests.

"When did you get this furniture?" asked Link. This had not been here before: the only things in the house sued to be a wooden table and three chairs that were absolutely uncomfortable. Now, the table was bigger, there were more chairs around it, and there were the leather chairs and sofa, plus a fireplace built into the wall.

"All this? This was a gift from Mambo's father and his friends," said Malon as she looked around the room. "They practically rebuilt the house! 'Course, with the way my father looks after things, we really needed it."

"Hey!" a loud voice shouted. "I would've gotten to it eventually!"

At the top of the wooden steps of the house was the bedroom that Malon shared with her father (at least, that's how Link remembered it). The bedroom door burst open and out strode Talon, owner and proprietor of the ranch. He was a big man, tall and heavy-set, who was bald, save for his bushy moustache, bushier muttonchops, and the thick hair on the side of his head. The hair looped back into a slight ponytail that hung just below his neck. Talon wore a red shirt that was very tight around his bulbous body, blue pants that covered every part of his body save for his arms and head, and leather shoes. Wrapped around his neck was a strand of beads, held together by the same monster pendant that Malon wore.

Talon rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his hairy fists and looked down into the sitting area. Specifically, he was looking at Link. The big man asked, "Malon, who's this? Another husband? But what about that kid, what's his name…Link!"

"Father," said Malon, "don't you recognize this man?" She gestured at Link, who waved at Talon. He felt extremely awkward and out of place.

Talon made his way down the steps, brushing a cucco aside with his foot, and then stared at Link some more. Then he wandered over past the wooden table and the chairs and he stopped to stare at Link again. Finally, he walked right up to the leather chair Link sat in and gazed directly into the boy's eyes. There was a sparkle of recognition in those brown eyes, and Link knew that Talon would remember who he was. After all, he couldn't have changed that much, right?

Talon began to mumble, "Those clothes…that hat…that mess of hair…I think I know who you are!" He lifted Link up by the shoulders and nearly crushed him with a bear-like grip.

"It's so great to finally see you again after all this time!" he exclaimed. Talon turned to his daughter and asked, "Malon, why didn't you tell me you found our old postman?!"

Malon shouted, "No, father! That's Link!"

"Huh?" Talon looked back and forth between Link and Malon. "What're you talking about, Malon?" he asked. "This is our old postman, Wodeir, back to deliver the mail once again!"

Gasping for air, Link choked out, "Sir...it actually IS me…I'm Link."

Talon stared intently at Link. "But how're you that boy?" he asked. "Where's your fairy?" He let go of Link and the young man dropped to the floor, taking in deep breaths of air in order to refill his lungs.

"It…it's a long story," Link gasped in between gulps of air. He pulled himself up into the chair he was sitting on and composed himself. Talon took a seat across from him. He looked to Link for the answer to his question.

Link sat back in the chair and began to talk. He told Talon and Malon how he had gone on an adventure with Navi many years ago, though he left out the specifics. When he had finished his quest, Navi vanished in beam of light. Link had not seen her since then. He then started talking about what he had done once he left Hyrule in search of his fairy friend. The hero told the farmers about being in Termina and saving the land from being destroyed, he told them about being on the sea and travelling with a band of Zora pirates, and he told them how he had washed ashore onto an island after a great storm. He spoke of monsters and masks, of demons and damsels, of swords and spells. Link told them all that he had done in the past eight years.

While he was telling his tale, Link truly began to feel old. _Has it been so long ago that I left here?_ The question plagued the hero to no end. As he reached the end of one journey and began to start upon another, Link would remember all that he had seen, all that he had experienced, all that he _was_ over the past eight years. Hero, guardian, sailor, explorer, inventor, rogue…all these were titles he bore. They were titles that would remain with him for the rest of his days.

Finally, Link let out a weary sigh and fell back into his seat. He had just finished telling Malon about his epic battle with a fiery dragon in the Magma Rock. Talon had fallen asleep some time ago, but this didn't matter to him. So long as Link had a single person to talk to, he was glad.

"Oh my," said Malon as she eased up off the sofa. "You went through all that just to rescue a boy who got lost?"

"Yes," the hero replied. "I felt it was the right thing to do."

"And isn't that what you always do." Malon stood up and stretched her arms above her head. She turned and looked out the window. The sun was high in the sky now. It was the middle of the day.

"Wow! Have we really been going on that long?" she asked Link. The young man got out of his seat and looked out the same window.

"Hmm…guess I lost track of time," he said with a smile.

"Sure looks like it," Malon whispered.

Link turned to look at her. In the sunlight, her red hair sparked like fire and glowed like a warm candle. Her calm eyes were like deep oceans. If Link stared at her any longer, he might find himself lost in those eyes, so he turned and walked around the room.

Malon walked over to the hero and asked, "You hungry, Link?" She was answered by a growling stomach and a flush of crimson on Link's face. "I'll take that as a yes."

She slowly walked into the kitchen, while Link sat down in one of the chairs. He looked over at Talon, asleep in his chair, and he smiled. It felt good to be around his friends again.

***

Far off from the Lon Lon Ranch, nearly a day's worth of travel from the Hyrule Field, in a dark plain of rocks and dust, a horde of monsters were riding towards the land. The monsters, a gang of moblins, rode along on the back of giant boars. Their spears were strapped to their backs and their armor clanked with each powerful step that the boars took. Each of their dog-like faces was contorted into scowls of malice and hatred.

As they rode through the dead field, their leader came to a halt. The rest of the moblins followed suit. The leader turned his boar so that he might face his troops. He, the leader, was as nasty as any other moblin: brown, scummy fur; ugly, pig and dog-like face; nasty temper. What separated him from the others and made him the leader was the large scar across his face. It ran from his right temple and came down over his right eye before ending at the chin. The leader snarled and sneered.

"You know why we ride today, men!" he cried. "We ride to find the one who slew half our army in Sarot, who took back our stolen treasure and gold from the worthless humans! This man, this LONE MAN, was able to defeat us! But he made one mistake: he let us LIVE! Now, your hatred compels you and fills your body with overflowing malice and hatred! We slew the humans who dared try to keep us in their prison, and we found the man who defeated us. We fought him best we could and we stole his weapons and items! We almost had his life!

"But he still, half-asleep, managed to kill three more of our soldiers. This is unacceptable! Tonight, we slay that man in the green hat, and we wipe out everything around him! We'll raze the earth, crush mountains, and show this man why we are the most ruthless band of moblins in the land of Sarot! NO ONE crosses us and lives to tell the tale! Tonight will be our greatest victory yet, you heathen monsters! We will kill the 'hero' and have our final vengeance!"

The moblins all hooted and hollered in savage war cries. They all charged forward, at the leader's mark, on their boars, off to the land of Hyrule. The scent of the man in green was still strong. It would be simple to find him and kill him wherever he might lie…

***

After having a hearty meal at the ranch, Link decided to go out and see how Epona was doing. He walked out of the house and into the bright sunlight, stretching his arms over his head as he moved toward the horse's pen. It wasn't long before Epona came into his sight. She was running around inside the wooden fence, trotting up to the other horses and neighing and whinnying with them, conversing however horses do. For the first time in a long time, Epona seemed to be very happy.

Link smiled at his horse. He took a look around the paddock, trying to remember any of the other horses' names. Unfortunately, not a single one came to mind. The young hero looked to the ground and kicked his feet against the worn path that led around the paddock. It was laced with hoof indents left behind from races in the past. Instantly, Link remembered riding Epona for the first time, racing Ingo around the track with the future of the ranch at stake. The thrill of winning and saving Malon and Epona from the dreadful ranch owner rushed back to Link and he raised his arms in victory. As he pumped his fists into the air, a man called out to him.

"Hello?" asked the man. "Are you here to ride a horse? T'will cost you twenty rupees for a five minute ride."

The man who came up the path and into the ranch was a tall and muscular man, well-built and powerful. He had red hair that was long and spiky, and was held back by a blue bandana. When he strode up the path, his black boots kicked up a cloud of dust that clung to his blue pants. Once, the man paused to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow with his powerful forearms. His white shirt clung to his body, leaving little to the imagination. The man huffed and puffed, as if he had just finished running a great distance.

Link held up his hands and said, "Oh, sorry, I'm not here to ride. I'm just looking around."

When the man finally got to Link, he stared at the young man and looked him up and down, just as Talon had done. "Y'know," he told Link, "you look awful familiar…where have I seen you before?"

"I can tell you right now, I'm not a postman."

"No, no, you're not a postman…didn't I meet you some years ago?" asked the man. He put his finger to his chin and tapped it, humming while he thought. At last, the answer seemed to come to him, as he pounded his fist into his palm.

"That's right! You're that kid that gave me the Spooky Mask when I was working the graveyard!" exclaimed the man. Link realized that this was Mambo, Malon's fiancé.

Mambo reached out and grabbed Link's hand, shaking it vigorously. "Oh, it's a pleasure to see you again, a real pleasure!"

Link smiled and returned the handshake. "I'm a little surprised," he said to Mambo, "that you remember me from just that one incident."

"Well, it was a big deal for me," said Mambo. "My father didn't want me pretending to be following in Dampé's footsteps in Kakariko Village, my mother thought it weird for me to be stomping around the graveyard all day, and I didn't really have a lot of friends. But you gave me that mask and encouraged me to pursue my goal and never let what the others said about me!"

"Well, I didn't exactly-"

"And then I met Malon, and she told me all about this great guy named Link, and I just knew it was you! You really did a lot to help people, y'know?" Mambo slapped Link across the back. "You're a good man, Link!"

It felt good to be praised again, by an old face no less, and so Link smiled bashfully and nodded his head. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to Mambo's enthusiasm. Thankfully, Mambo was there to fill in the gap of silence for Link.

"Say, were you looking to ride your horse around the track?" asked the gravedigger. "I can have the fences set up in a heartbeat!"

Link replied, "Sure, let me just go and see if Epona is up for it."

"You check with your horse to make sure she's ready to run?"

"Of course, she's my friend and partner. I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for her."

The two men walked through the horse paddock, talking to each other as if they were old friends. From her spot at the window, Malon could see her men. She smiled and closed the curtains.

***

Quickly, the hours of the day flew by like a great wind, and before anyone realized it, the sun was setting. Malon and Talon fixed up a hearty dinner for themselves and their four guests. When Link entered the old house and smelled the roasted bird they were preparing, he licked his lips in anticipation, for it had been sometime since he had a proper meal.

The dinner itself was filled with a warm atmosphere, the likes of which Link hadn't felt in some time. He chatted with Mambo and Talon about all the other farms and ranches he had visited over the years, about how hard it was to find anything better than the Lon Lon Ranch. He laughed when Malon reprimanded her father for wolfing down his food. His heart skipped a beat when she passed him the basket filled with bread. While talking with his guests, Link also ate heavily, filling his empty belly after pitching in and working for a day on the farm.

When the supper was ended, Link excused himself and walked out to the paddock. He stared up into the stars, their white light reminding him of the countless men, women, children, and monsters he had encountered in the eight years he had been gone from Hyrule. They reminded him of grand adventures and of peaceful nights. Most of all, though, they reminded him of one friend he could not find, no matter where he went: Navi.

He looked up into the sky and asked softly, "Navi…where are you?"

"Wasn't that the name of your fairy?" asked Malon. Link spun around and saw the young woman coming over to him from the front of the paddock. She was smiling with pity.

"Well?"

"…Yes," he replied. "Navi was my companion on my first journey all those years ago. When all was said and done, she vanished before me…"

***

"_Navi!" the young Link cried. "Don't go!"_

"_I'm sorry, Link," the blue fairy replied, "but my time with you has come to an end. I cannot…remain here. There is something that I must do on my own."_

"_What is it?! What could be so important that you would leave me?!?"_

"_The Deku Tree, before he died, gave me this final command, Link. 'Navi, thou art the only one who canst shed light upon the dark tide that will come to Hyrule. Once young Link hath slain the dark man from the desert, thy mission must be to enter the Golden Realm and act as guardian. Do this for me, Navi…'"_

_Link remained silent, and merely watched as Navi, his closest friend and ally in the war against Ganondorf, fluttered into the air._

"_Link, promise me something. Promise…you will not look for me." Link looked up at her in shock. Navi looked down at him with a glance of sadness._

"_You no longer need to worry about what will happen. Tell Zelda what you experienced and went through. She will be able to help you. Enjoy the second chance at life that you have been given. Farewell…"_

"_NAVI!"_

_The blue fairy fluttered away through the stained glass windows of the Temple of Time, leaving Link alone with the Master Sword. He fell to his knees and cried until he could cry no more. When his tears slowed, he cautiously rose up and stared at the path that Navi had just taken._

"_Sorry, Navi," he mumbled quietly, "but I cannot follow your last request. I'm going to find you, no matter how long it takes!"_

***

"It's been eight years now, Malon, and I still have yet to find a trace of her. I have been around this incredible world and saved it more times than I can think of, yet I have never once found the Golden Realm where Navi left to. She has…truly vanished."

Link and Malon were leaning against the wooden fence of the paddock, him looking up at the sky, she staring at his somber face. There was a moment of silence before Malon whapped Link's head with her hand.

She said, "You're a real fool, y'know that? Why did you have to leave? She asked you to lead a normal life!"

"Because of this," Link raised his left hand, "I can't lead a normal life." The golden light of the Triforce shined on the back of Link's hand. Malon marveled at the marking.

"I was born into the world with this fate upon my shoulders. There's no way I could lead a normal life ever."

Malon smiled sadly and touched Link's face with her hand. She stroked his tanned skin softly. She stopped and whispered to him, "Why do you have to do this, fairy boy?" Her blue eyes sparkled at him, and Link looked away.

"I know you can't ever stay still for long. I know you can't ever hope for a normal life. You told me all this. You've gained so much in these past eight years. But…you've lost some of yourself along the way. Your smile, your laugh…you've become someone different."

With that said, Malon turned and walked back towards the house. When she got to the entrance to the paddock, she turned and looked back.

"You're probably going to leave again soon, right?" she asked. "Try to lighten up a little, fairy boy."

She left Link standing there, mouth agape, in the paddock. Not sure how to respond, Link looked up into the night sky for answers to all the questions he had. There was nothing to be had. He went back into the small wooden house later, and fell asleep upon the sofa in the main room.

***

The sound of stomping hooves and whinnying horses shook Link from his slumber. He cautiously rose from the sofa and reached for his sword and shield, which lay just at his feet. He could hear deep growling from outside. From the shadows that crept into the house through the window, Link could tell that there were intruders in the ranch. They were speaking to each other in a tongue that Link knew belonged to moblins.

"The boy's scent leads us here, sir," said one to the other.

"Good," the second replied. "Now, let us bring hellfire upon this place!"

Numerous moblins paraded by the window, not one of them looking into the house. Not one, that is, until the last one burst in through the house door. The ugly monster growled and charged at Link, but Link was quick to jump from the sofa. He twisted through the air and brought his sword down upon the moblin's head. The strike managed to break through the monster's iron helmet and stun it, but it was not powerful enough to kill the beast. So, as soon as he hit the ground, Link spun and sliced through the back of the moblin's armor, cutting into its flesh. The monser howled in agony and collapsed onto the floor, breaking into ash instantly.

Malon burst out of the upstairs room, clad in a violet nightgown. She was panicked.

"Link!" she shrieked. "What's going on?!"

"Moblins," he replied. "It's the group that pursued me from earlier. Looks like they followed me here."

"Will you be all right? All you have is a sword and shield!"

Link's eyes narrowed. 'I've been in worse," he grimaced as he ran quietly out of the house."

Outside, there were two moblins: one was standing near the broken gate on the entry while the other was trying to break into the stable where the horses were.

"Stupid iron doors!" the one at the stable grunted. "Hate 'em, I do!"

"Quit yer belly-achin'," the one at the gate replied. "At least you're not stuck with gate-guardin'!"

While the two were growling to each other, Link stole up behind the one at the stable and drove his sword into the moblin's back. It howled in agony once, then turned and swatted at Link with his fist. The hero was too quick for the beast, however, as he dodged to one side and sliced into the monster's chest. Dark blood coursed from the wound, and then the beast burst apart into ash.

Link heard something in the wind whistle, and he dodged to the left just as an arrow passed by his shoulder. The arrow had come from the moblin at the gate, who looked very, very angry.

"Die, green man!" it roared as it notched another arrow to its bow.

The arrow whizzed by Link again, this time grazing his shoulder, but rather than run away, Link chose to run AT the beast instead. He dodged the arrows left and right, until he came face to face with the monstrosity. With a great push, Link slammed his shield into the belly of the moblin, knocking its weapon from its arms. Stunned momentarily, Link swung his sword in two consecutive strokes, slicing the beast across the torso and killing it instantly.

There was no rest for Link, as the howling from the moblins had alerted another monster from across the way. The beast charged at Link with a giant spear, but Link stepped to the side and skewered the beast in the side when it passed by. The moblin turned and began to charge again, but Link was ready. He dodged away from the moblin a second time and delivered a final strike in the monster's back, sending it flying to the ground and breaking apart into ash. Before the moblin even hit the ground, Link was on the move again.

He ran through the ranch, taking out moblins when he came across them or when they noticed him slaying their allies. Though quite strong, the monsters were not as strong as Link remembered. Just two strokes from his sword were all it took to kill the beasts. And though they put up a good fight, they were unable to harm Link much, if at all, for, in their hatred of him, they seemed to slip up on their aim.

It wasn't long before Link had made his way through the dozen or so moblins and had located their leader. The boss stood in the center of the paddock, muscles taught, his spear at ready. Its eyes were full of red hot hatred for the hero in green, and when he walked into the paddock, the boss snarled savagely.

"You! You weren't content with what you did to my men in Sarot, were you?! I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance!"

Link silently strode towards the moblin captain, sword in hand, shield clenched in his hand. The moblin captain roared, "Come on then!" and swung his long spear at Link. The hero flipped backwards to avoid the blow, then rolled forward and swung his blade up at the captain. Link's blade sliced the monster all the way up to his chin, though it was not strong enough to kill him. Howling in agony, the captain jumped backwards (no small feat for a creature of its size) and dropped its spear on the ground. The captain raised his fists into the air and slammed them down into the ground, creating a large shockwave that made the ground ripple. It was great enough to knock Link from his feet, throwing him back through the air and onto the hard ground. The air was knocked from his lungs.

He quickly regained his footing and charged forward, just as the captain brought his fists up so that he might shake the ground again. This time, Link dodged the attack by rolling on the ground away from the blast, leaving his body unharmed. With no time to spare, Link charged forward and drove his sword into the moblin captain's side, skewering him on his blade. Again, the captain roared in fury and pain, and he swatted at Link with his giant fists that could make the earth tremble. The blow connected with Link's shield, but it was enough to shatter the old tool and send Link flying. Link flipped through the air and landed on his feet, stopping himself from getting too hurt. Unfortunately, he was now without a weapon, as his shield was now in pieces and his sword was still in the captain's side. He was completely defenseless.

"What can you do now, green man?!" the moblin chortled in fiendish glee. "You have no more weapons!"

Before Link could respond, the bright light of the Triforce began to glow on the back of his hand. He raised it so that the moblin might see the shining light. When it did, the captain stumbled backwards. "The light! Not the accursed LIGHT!"

An emerald orb began to form around Link's hands, spinning like a savage cyclone. "You remember this, don't you?" he grimly asked the moblin captain. "This is the power of Farore, the goddess of courage!"

Link sprinted towards the terrified captain with his arm stretched outward and his hand reaching out for the captain. When the emerald orb made contact with the monster's armor, it exploded in light and unleashed the full power of a massive gale storm. The great wind destroyed the captain's armor and blasted through his torso before sending him flying through the air and outside the paddock. He hit the ground with a sickening thud and shattered into a thousand pieces of ash. There was nothing left behind, save for Link's sword and a strange gem.

The hero walked outside the paddock and strode over to find the gem floating just above the ground, spinning slightly. He knew what it was: a Heart Container. It was a large rock in the shape of a heart, with a blue-green gem covering a ruby rock on the inside. Link had acquired many over his years as an adventurer, and they had greatly helped to increase his stamina for a time. With one touch, the Heart Container disappeared into light and entered Link's body. The rejuvenating magic of the Heart Container filled Link with a warmth he had not felt for quite some time.

***

The next morning, there was no sign at all of the moblins' attack on the ranch. Any damage they had done had been repaired the night before by Link and Talon, who had to be woken up by a cucco after the invasion was over. Even the horses had managed to calm themselves, as they rested comfortably shortly after Malon sang to them following Link's victory over the moblins.

The new day found Link (with Epona by his side), Malon, Talon, and Mambo at the edge of the ranch. Talon had given Link a bottle of milk for his defeating the moblins. 'It's the least we could do,' he had said. The hero accepted the bottle without hesitation. He had cleaned his sword the night before and washed up just before eating a hearty breakfast. Now, he was all set to head out again.

"How long you going to be in Hyrule, Link?" Mambo asked, clearly not wanting the hero to leave.

"I'm here to stay," the hero replied with a smile. "Thanks for the hospitality," he said to Talon.

Malon grinned at him and asked Link, "What're you gonna do next?"

"I figure I'll go back to the Kokiri Forest. See how my old friends are doing."

"Best of luck to ya," the ranch girl told him. Link bowed his head to the people of Lon Lon Ranch and then hopped on Epona's back.

As he rode off, Malon waved and called, "Don't be a stranger, ya hear me, fairy boy?"

Link smirked and waved back before he passed through the ranch gates and got back onto the Hyrule Field. His destination clear, Link turned Epona to the right and had her run towards the forest where Link had grown up.

***

High above Link, in the sky, a giant bird was watching him. This bird was a giant owl with brown feathers of varying shades of brown. It hooted softly to itself as it gazed down at the hero.

"At last, you have returned home, Link," said Kaepora Gaebora, the aged owl, "but you may not like what you find…"


	3. Chapter 2: Home

**Chapter 2: Home**

A soft breeze rustled the green grass around her hooves as Epona trotted slowly along the dirt path leading towards the center of Hyrule Field before coming to a stop. From atop the saddle, Link took in the surroundings of the land he called "home". The world around him seemed to have changed so much, yet it all seemed to be the same after all this time.

There was still the stone bridge leading from the Field to the aged steps to Kakariko Village. The sounds of hammers banging meant that all the village's carpenters were hard at work. It reminded Link of the days gone by, when he saw Kakariko for the first time. A small village then, it had gone on to become the largest in Hyrule, due in part to Ganondorf's coup over the Hyrulian family. Link made a note in his mind to make sure he stopped by there soon, after returning to his home in the forest.

To the north of Kakariko Village, Link could see Death Mountain standing tall and foreboding. A black ring of smoke hovered about the lip of the mighty volcano menacingly, as if an omen of darkness. Link remembered that when the volcano became active, the ring would turn dark and eruptions and avalanches would occur afterwards. He wondered how the Gorons could live that way, but he simply figured that they had grown used to the conditions with time. After Kakariko Village, Link would climb the mountain to check in on Darunia, the Goron chief.

The Zora River flowed lazily on its path, going past the village's entrance and snaking its way across the field. Like yesterday, the water was black like tar. The source of the river came from the Zora's Waterfall, where the aquatic Zora people lived in their pristine, untarnished world in peace. Whenever he journeyed to the waterfall, Link could feel a cool mist blowing through the air; now, there was a sickly smell permeating from the river. It seemed that nothing ever came easy for the Zoras: when Link was a child, Ganondorf had poisoned their god, Jabu-Jabu the whale; when he returned as an adult, their entire home had been frozen (with themselves in it). What new horrors had afflicted the Zoras again?

But there were other people that came before the Gorons and the Zoras: the Kokiri, the children of the forest. Link wanted to make sure everyone there was okay or if some fate had befallen them while he was away. Fado, the Know-It-All Brothers, Kirin, who ran the store, and even Mido…he needed to be sure that his home had not changed at all.

And Saria.

Saria, his closest friend of all. Saria, who gave him the ocarina that now dangled broken around his neck. Saria, who became the Sage of Forest and vanished away from the place she loved the most. Images of the green-haired girl flittered through Link's mind: taking him through the Sacred Meadow, greeting the newly-grown Deku Sprout together, bidding each other farewell eight years ago on the wooden bridge that connected the forest to the outside world…

***

"_Link, wait!" Saria shouted as she ran through the woods. She went through the giant log that marked the exit from the Kokiri Forest and found Link holding onto one of the ropes that held the bridge up. The young boy turned and greeted his friend with a solemn face. She stopped right next to him, not even breathing hard, despite having run all the way from her home. In her hands was a small bag._

"_I wanted you to take these nuts and berries. You'll need food, y'know," said Saria._

"_Thanks, Saria," said Link. He took the bag and tied it to his belt. It was light, but it felt so much heavier coming from Saria herself. He stared into her eyes and she into his, and the two of them stood there for what seemed an eternity. The soft glow of the morning light filtered in through the thick trees in the forest, casting its light upon Saria, giving her viridian hair an ethereal appearance._

_Saria began to say something, but Link cut her off by wrapping her in a hug. "I should have said goodbye last time I left," he whispered, "but I was too scared. It felt like if I said it, I would be leaving the forest forever."_

"_You're not leaving forever," Saria murmured softly as she returned the hug. "You came back. And you'll come back soon, I just know it."_

_Link let go of Saria and she took his hands, holding them close to her. "Don't say 'Goodbye'," said Saria. "We'll see each other again. And then we can go play again. Everything will be the way it should be._

"_Right."_

_The boy turned his back to Saria and made his way across the bridge. He held back his tears, knowing that Saria was doing the same. Link did not turn around though. He kept going forward. He knew that if he looked back, he would never leave…_

_***_

Link shook himself from his memories to find that Epona was trotting towards the entrance to the forest already. He pulled back on her reins, telling her to stop. Quietly, he hopped down from her saddle and fed her a carrot.

"All right, girl," he whispered to her, "I'm not sure when I'll be back out, but I'll play your song if I need you, okay? Wait for me at the ranch." A loud whinny was her reply. Link smiled and patted her white mane once more before he entered the world of the Kokiri again. He gazed up at the entrance to the forest, the hollow trunk of an ancient tree, and crossed the barrier between Hyrule and the wooded realm.

***

Once he passed through the log, Link found himself stepping out onto the wooden bridge that connected the entrance to Hyrule Field to the entrance to Kokiri Forest. In these woods, the Lost Woods, a cloudy mist permanently hung in the air, giving the wondrous forest an ethereal appearance. Link noted that, though the sun was shining high in the sky that day, the thick tops of the numerous trees blocked out most of the rays, allowing the crisp autumn air to be felt throughout. A cool wind swept through the forest, sending falling leaves every which-way and stirring the rickety wooden bridge Link slowly walked across. Time itself seemed to take pause in the forest, for, even eight years later, the woods still seemed the same to the returned hero.

The natural silence of the forest was disturbed by an ear-rattling cry of help and manic cackling that followed shortly after. Link gripped his sword and readied himself for combat. Both the cackling and the crying grew ever closer, and Link found the sources of the noise: a bushy-haired Kokiri boy was running as fast as he could from a Skull Kid, a type of imp that inhabited the Lost Woods.

"H-H-H-Help me, mister!" the boy cried as he ran behind Link.

"Awww," the Skull Kid leered in a high-pitched, melodic voice. "Don't you want to plaaaaaay?"

Before it came any closer, Link knocked the imp away with a swing of his blade; he only used the flat side of the blade though. This was because it was a belief amongst the Kokiri that the Skull Kids were once like them, children of the Deku Tree, until they ventured out into the Lost Woods and were changed by the magic within. One may never kill a fellow child of the forest, which was the chief rule of the Kokiri.

The Skull Kid drew itself up from the ground, shaking its head and groaning to alleviate its pain. It looked like most Skull Kids that Link had encountered before: deformed heads that looked like wood, spindly limbs made of wood as well, and their only clothes being rags made from the forest. No taller than a child, these mischievous creatures were quick-witted and sly, so Link could not afford to let one get away. Before it could compose itself, Link picked up the Skull Kid by its gangly leg.

It began hollering in fear, "W-W-Wait! You d-d-d-don't want to k-k-kill me!"

Link was not planning to, but he played along with the imp. Maybe if he scared it enough, it would leave the Kokiri alone. So he dangled the imp over the side of the bridge. "I've fought many of your kind, Skull Kid, and I know what wicked beings you can be. One nearly brought about the end of the world. Now," he snarled as he began to lower the imp, "tell me why I shouldn't let you fall to the ground below."

"Farore above!" screamed the imp. "I swear I won't ever go near the Kokiri again; I'll leave them alone! Just please don't let me gooooooooooooooo!"

Pretending to give some matter to the thought, Link tapped his chin. He turned to the Kokiri child and looked at him, as if asking, "What do you think?" The child, however, seemed too startled to respond. Finally, having grown tired of the imp's screeching, Link lowered the Skull Kid back down to the bridge. Keeping his furious façade up, Link pointed the tip of his sword square in the imp's face.

"If I ever see you bothering another Kokiri, Skull Kid, I'll not hold back," he said grimly. "You won't see the morning light ever again. Now, be gone!"

The Skull Kid bowed deeply at its skinny waist, murmuring rapidly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" It ran off down the other end of the bridge and out of sight as it passed through the gateway to Kokiri Forest.

Behind Link, the boy breathed a sigh of relief and fell onto his rear. He gazed up at Link and smiled broadly, saying, "Thanks for saving me, mister! Boy, that sure was scary!"

"Well, I had to act tough if I wanted to frighten the little monster away. He won't be bothering anyone again anytime soon though," said Link. He kneeled down next to the boy and ruffled the child's hair.

Looking at the boy, Link felt a twinge of familiarity, as though he knew him from before, when he lived in the forest. The boy had brown hair the color of mud and eyes that shimmered like viridian pools of light, though he could hardly make out the child's eyes from underneath his hair, which hung in his face. He wore a green tunic, green shorts, and green boots, a common look amongst Kokiri boys. A long, green cap adorned his bushy head of hair.

"What's your name?" Link asked the boy.

"Aldo, sir!" the boy gave a silly salute.

"Aldo?" Link repeated.

Link remembered who the boy was: Aldo, the middle brother of the quirky Know-It-All Brothers. They were three brothers who were the smartest amongst the children in the forest, and they were more than happy to teach the children all sorts of things. Link himself learned what he needed about traveling from the three; it was Aldo, in fact, who helped to teach him proper packing methods, which was why Link could carry so many things on his person. If not for the Know-It-Alls, Link would have had quite the difficult time during his first adventure.

"Yessir, Aldo, sir. One of Miss Saria's escorts into Hyrule Castle Town whenever the king calls upon her," said the boy.

"What?"

"Look out!"

Link felt something land on his back, something light and smelling of wood. The heinous cackling alerted him to the assailant's identity immediately: it was another Skull Kid, perhaps the same one from earlier. It rapped on Link's head with its tiny fists, hissing and cackling at the same time and, despite Link's best efforts, he couldn't reach the imp. At last, it grabbed onto the Smith's Sword Link carried on his back and pulled as hard as it could. The Skull Kid managed to tear it from its holder, sheath and all, and it flew off like lightning before Link could catch it.

Link grumbled and rubbed the spot where the Skull Kid hit him. "Should've dropped the thing over the side when I had the chance," he muttered. It did not matter to Link that much, in all honesty, for not only was the sword becoming dull with age, but he could easily attain a newer, better sword if he wanted. So he turned back to Aldo and helped him up.

"You're not going after it?" the Kokiri boy asked, curious as to the swordsman's actions.

"No. I don't need that sword anymore. Let the imp keep it," said Link. "Now, I do have a question for you. A moment ago, you mentioned that Saria goes to Hyrule Castle?"

"You must not be from around here," said Aldo. He always was the blunter one of his brothers. "Miss Saria is the ambassador for us, the Kokiri! Ever since Princess Zelda convinced the king that Hyrule needed a council to help its people, Miss Saria's been making trips out there four times a year! Although, we haven't been asked to stop by the castle for a while…"

"There hasn't been a meeting of the ambassadors?"

"No. In all honesty, we think it's the king's fault. There's something wrong, but no one's saying anything. It's like there's a giant Dodongo in the room and everyone's ignoring it," said Aldo.

An ill feeling filled Link's gut. First the toll to enter into the castle town, now the news that a council led by Zelda had not convened in some time, all formed doubts and anxieties in Link's head. What had happened since he left the country?

"But enough about that, stranger," said Aldo as he stood up and dusted himself off. "In all this, I forgot to ask for your name."

"I…well…" Link paused. He remembered the last time he returned to the Kokiri as an adult; not one of them recognized him. At the time, he felt so alone, and sadder than he had ever felt; now, what would things be like?

"Aldo, don't you remember me?" the lonesome hero asked the boy. "It's me, Link. The boy without a fairy, remember?"

The light of recognition lit up Aldo's face instantly. He stumbled, taken aback by what he saw before him. The Link he knew was a kid, like him: a chubby-faced, plucky kid with a little blue fairy hovering around his shoulder. Well, only for a while. Then Link left to explore the world. This tan swordsman in tattered clothes could not possibly be that same boy, right?

"F…Farore above…" Aldo mumbled as he regained his footing, "I can't believe…it's really you…Link…"

"It's me, Aldo. Been a while, hasn't it?" asked Link.

"Eight years, to be precise," said Aldo once he had composed himself. "Why…look at you! You're a giant! A full-grown man! And the way you swung that sword and dealt with that Skull Kid! How incredible was that?! Where did you learn to fight like that?? You must tell me, so I can record it in my library for later reference, a-"

"-Aldo, you're starting to sound like your brother Dori," interrupted Link with a chuckle.

Aldo blushed with embarrassment. "Yes, well…that's to be expected when one comes across somebody who's been off on an odyssey for eight years, three months, and eleven days," he said hurriedly.

"You counted?" asked Link as he turned and made his way to the other end of the bridge.

"Well, Saria was keeping count, and some of us started keeping track as well, just to pass the time. Even Mido started a few years ago."

Link paused, stared at Aldo as though the boy had grown another head, and then guffawed loud enough to wake some nearby birds. He laughed all the way to the end of the bridge, when he could laugh no more.

***

The two passed through the log entrance and into the Kokiri Forest once more. Time had been kind to the children, it seemed, as nothing had really changed after all these years. Some unfamiliar huts were lying about the makeshift village, and there seemed to be a few more trees growing, but nothing was greatly different. Even the air still carried the familiar scent of the woods. What the scribes and poets said was true: time truly ceased in the forest.

"Wait here," said Aldo as he moved away from Link. "I'm going to the shop to tell everyone you're back, Link! Won't be gone too long!"

Link nodded and watched as Aldo ran off to the tall, gray tree that housed the Kokiri store within. When Link lived in the forest, it was the only place where a child could purchase anything; from shields to slingshots, they carried anything the Kokiri needed, mostly because it was run by the Kokiri themselves. There used to be a girl that would sit upon the tarp that hung above the shop, but she wasn't there that day.

_I wonder where everyone is…_

When he looked around, Link found that there wasn't a single child out and about in the little village. On an ordinary day, the Kokiri would be milling around, playing games and living in leisure and harmony, but not today. Not a single soul was out in the village that day, not even a single bird. There was an uneasiness that lingered in the air, like some pungent stench.

In fact, Link smelled something foul, like onions and pickled oysters, coming from one of the nearby huts. The hero followed the stench all the way to a small hut next to, what he remembered to be, Mido's home. Looking at the hut, it wasn't much: a small wooden structure not even as tall as Link himself, much smaller in width than a Kokiri home, and a cloth draped over the top; less of a hut and more like a tent. Still, a small column of smoke rose up from the hut, and Link was sure that this was the source of the malignant odor. The only way into the tent looked to be a slit in the cloth, so Link peered down, trying to see inside.

"Hello? Hello, is anyone in there?" asked Link.

There was a no response, so Link figured whoever lived in the tent had left a pot on the fire and he turned to go. Before he could go, a crackly voice emanated from the small tent, beckoning him back.

"Who's there?" asked the voice inside. Link couldn't tell who was talking, whether it was a man or a woman. It was very raspy and had a certain quality to it that made the person speaking seem as though they were sick. "Well? Speak up!"

"Um…I was just trying to find out what the smell was," said Link. "Sorry for bothering you."

There was a pause before the voice spoke again. "You're not one of the children. You're not a child. Judging by your voice, I would say you're an adult…are you from the castle town? Do you work for the king??" it asked.

"No…I don't work for the king. I'm here to see the forest," said Link. He wouldn't tell a stranger his reasons for being in the woods.

"Come inside, quickly," the voice gasped, "before they get you too!" Deciding to humor whoever lived in the tent, Link ducked his head and crawled inside.

The tent was very cramped, with most of the space being taken up by bottles of all shapes and sizes. Some round, some square, some in shapes Link couldn't name even if he tried. Each of the bottles was filled with a different color liquid that shimmered in the light of the fire. In the center of the tent was the fire, with a black pot on top and a shriveled figure at its side. The faceless figure (faceless in that its head was covered by a hood) sat by the kettle, stirring the pot with a long wooden spoon that emerged from the violet cloak it wore. It was seated on a pile of leaves, humming some tune to itself.

"You took my advice and came inside," the figure said. "That's good. Means you've got a brain between your ears."

"What were you talking about when you said, 'Before they get you too,'?" asked Link. The figure didn't reply immediately, so Link took the chance to peer down into the pot on the flames. It was filled with a murky, blue liquid that had bits of mushrooms and berries floating at the surface.

In time, the figure replied, "I suppose I was being cautious, really. It only really happens at night, though I've noticed there being some problems in the daytime as well."

"What problems?" asked Link.

"Disappearances," it answered. "It started not but a week ago: Kokiri and Deku have been vanishing from the forest. At night, a warm wind blows through the wood, shaking the trees so there's a terrible fright. We get up in the morning and we find that someone's been stole from their home. And no one knows who does it! The Skull Kids wouldn't be that way, and the Deku still have their soldiers, so…"

"You mention the Deku; what do they have to do with anything here?" Link asked the figure.

"Ahh, you truly aren't from around here then. Some years ago, something happened in the woods that forced the Deku from their home in the Lost Woods and into the Kokiri's world. There has been some struggle to change, but they've all managed to improve since. As for why the Deku came, no one is saying anything. We've tried to coax it out of their chief, but he's all shut up, and the Deku Tree won't even try to get them to answer! Well, such is life. Times change and one must change with them, or they'll be lost," said the figure.

"Now, let us have no more talk, eh? Would you care to join me for some stew?" it asked.

"Some other time, perhaps," Link replied. "I shall be meeting some people soon."

"Another time then," the hooded figure sighed. "That's what they all say. But you look trustworthy, so I'm holding you to that promise."

"Goodbye," said Link as he crawled out from the tent.

The figure called back, "Give my greetings to the Deku Tree!"

Curious as to what the enigma had said, Link turned to ask, but found Aldo running up to him with three other Kokiri in tow. Joining Aldo were his brothers, Dori and Nisom, and Fado, a perky little blonde Kokiri whom Link remembered as Saria's friend. Each of their fairies trailed behind the children. Dori and Nisom looked the same as Aldo; in fact, when Link was younger, it was incredibly difficult to tell them apart. As she ran, Fado waved a hand in the air.

"Link!" she cried in her high-pitched voice. "Link, you're back!"

"It's unbelievable!" Nisom shouted. "Simply unbelievable!"

"Welcome back!" cheered Dori.

The hero greeted his old friends with a warm smile and opened up his arms to catch Fado in a hug. A melodic laugh flittered past her lips as she wrapped her arms around him. Dori and Nisom were right beneath Link, practically clinging to his legs. Choosing to stand back and watch, Aldo took delight in seeing his brothers and friend reunite with one they thought had gone away forever.

When Link set her down, Fado said, "Link, it's been so long since you've been here! And look at how you've changed! Oh, goodness, you're all scratched up! What happened to you out there?!"

"Let him get a word in, Fado," said Nisom as he brushed his brown bangs from his eyes. "But do tell us, Link: where have you been all this time?"

"Did you go on lots of adventures?" asked Dori excitably.

"Oh, more than you all could imagine," Link replied. "Say, where is everyone else? It feels like a ghost town here."

Aldo started walking back to the shop. "Most people are going to be back in their homes, Link, keeping safe. We try not to go out too much, what with everything going on right now…" he said somberly.

"You mean the disappearances?" asked Link.

"How did you know about those?" questioned Nisom

"The person in that tent told me," said Link as he gestured to the tent he had just been in.

"You mean you actually got The Shadow to talk to you?" squeaked Fado. "Wow…"

"The Shadow doesn't talk to any of us, Deku or Kokiri," said Dori. "It doesn't even treat us like we're there at all!"

"Well, enough about that old nut!" exclaimed Aldo. "Link, let's get you to the shop so you can get a shield. Come on!"

Link followed the children down the worn path through the center of the little village they had made and hopped across the small pond that stood just before the shop. Once on the other side, he took a gaze at the shop. In eight years it hadn't changed much: the old awning was still hanging over the entrance, the bark of the tree seemed a little grayed, but nothing else was different.

"Welcome to the Kokiri Store! How may I help you?" a diminutive Deku Scrub behind the counter asked Link as he passed through the doorway. Its head-leaves shook with every jump he took as he tried to see over the large counter.

"Are you…the shopkeeper?" asked Link when he noticed that Parkin, the child in charge of the shop when Link was last in Hyrule. "What happened to Parkin?"

"Ooh, the little merchant boy…he vanished not but three days ago. But Parkin told me that I was in charge, should anything go wrong. You needn't worry," said the Deku Scrub with the best smile he could muster with his tube-like mouth, "I'm plenty able to run the shop on my own!"

Peering down at the little Deku behind the counter, Link guessed that he (for Link had learned how to tell the difference) was a child, not unlike he was when he himself became a Deku Scrub. Amber leaves decorated the boy's head, and he had a light-brown skin. It seemed as though the Scrub was related in some way to the Mad Deku that roamed the Lost Woods, playing pranks on people.

Link's gaze turned from the Scrub to the items atop the shelves. There was a heart-shaped berry meant for restoring one's stamina, several sacks of the explosive Deku Nuts and rock-hard Deku Seeds, and small slingshots that were popular amongst the Kokiri; wooden shields carved from the bark of great trees, arrows designed with a primitive style about them, and forest-green tunics for sell. Truly, the shop hadn't changed since he was last there.

"I shall take one of the shields, please," asked Link politely. The Deku Scrub bowed, picked up a wooden shield from off the shelf, and passed it to Link. He perused the shield carefully, noting how similar it was to the wooden shield he had received long ago when he first set out on his journey. Although it was bigger, it was made from the same bark and had the red symbol of the Kokiri painted on the front; it felt familiar to Link.

"Here's the money, Lem!" said Aldo. He tossed a small bag of rupees to the Deku Scrub. Lem counted all the rupees in the bag before smiling again.

"A pleasure doing business with you!" he said. "Come again!"

Link took the shield and wrapped around his back. The weight of the shield felt good to him. He started walking for the door, with Aldo and the others in tow. "Well, now I have a shield, but what will I do about a sword?" he asked the children.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about a sword," Dori smiled with some mischief. "You see, about a year ago, the-"

He was interrupted when a pair of large Deku came in and blocked the doorway. They were tall and bulbous, like Merchant Scrubs, only fatter. The two had long vines that were tied together growing from their heads, and little stubbles of moss beneath their mouths. A wooden staff was in their hands.

"Are you the one called 'Link'?" asked one.

"If you are, say 'yes'!" said the other.

"I am Link," said the hero, "and who might you be?"

"We are the guards of the great chief Koa," they both said at the same time, "and we are here to escort you to an audience with the Great Deku Tree."

***

_How does the Deku Tree know I have returned already? _Link thought to himself as he followed the guards through the winding path that led to the resting place of the guardian spirit that watched over the forest. Years ago, it was easy to spot the magnificent tree from even the entrance of the forest, but that was before Ganondorf came and infected the Deku Tree with an illness and let the Queen Gohma eat away at the tree. Its body passed on, but the spirit was reborn into a new body not long after. Link only met that youngling once, yet he felt the same kindness, compassion and wisdom emanating from it that he once felt from the Great Deku Tree.

"The hero is here, chief," said the first of the guards.

"Here he is, chief," said the other.

"Haroom!" huffed the chief. "Vera well. Ye mae take yer leave nao." The two guards bowed to the enormous Deku and retreated to another part of the forest.

Link took a look around the clearing that once held the tallest and widest tree in the forest. There stood to one side a tall Deku that was thick and stout, built like a small tree. A thick mass of grass was growing out of his head and looked to be slicked back, and a long growth of moss covered the area around his snout and most of his head. He clutched a long pole that held a clay pot on the end. Despite his thick body, the chief still had the spindly limbs that Deku were known for, but Link could tell this one was very strong.

In the center of the meadow was, not surprisingly, the reborn Deku Tree. Small, perhaps no bigger than Link himself was, it looked the same as it had when Link had seen it in the Dark Realm belonging to Ganon. Two black, stone-like pieces of bark formed its eyes, and there was a gap in the face, where Link imagined was its mouth. To the left and right of the Deku Tree, to Link's surprise, were none other than Saria and Mido, who both looked like they had seen a ghost.

"It's…it's not possible," Mido mumbled. "Y-You actually came back!" In all this time, Mido had not changed. He still wore the same clothes, he still had a yellow fairy fluttering behind him, and he still didn't have a sword and shield with him. Some things never quite changed.

Like Saria. She still wore a long-sleeved green shirt underneath her lighter-colored tunic, still had a pink fairy following her, and still had eyes that shined with mirth. Whereas Mido's comment had come across to Link as disbelief, Saria's carried a bit of laughter to it. "Link, it's been so long. Welcome home," she said. For a moment, it seemed that she wanted to rush forward to greet him, but she didn't.

"Saria, Mido, what are you two doing here?" Link asked. He was happy to see them again, sure, but he wanted to know why they were with the Deku Tree and Koa.

"I sent for them, Link," said the Deku Tree. "Right now, as you know, Saria is the ambassador for the Kokiri and for this forest, and Mido has become the self-appointed captain of the Kokiri Guard. They are also the ones I felt you wanted to see most of all." Despite being so young, the tree spoke as though it had lived for thousands of years before, like it was wise beyond its years.

The Deku Tree continued. "Right now, our forest is in danger. We have come under attack by a powerful menace who strikes at us in the night. The figure in the cloak told you so, yes? The story is true: for the past week, Kokiri children have been disappearing into the Lost Woods, and it always happens the same way. First, a warm breeze rolls in, then the cloud of mist, and then, finally, a child vanishes, fairy and all. I have seen the enemy's face, but I am not the one to tell you what it is."

"Ah'll tell ye, laddie," Koa grunted. "We, the proud children of tha Deku, were driven from our 'omes not baht a moonth ago. Fahr centuries, we lived in an undahground palace tha' rivaled tha' of th' royal fam'ly's. It was a magnificent place, filled wit' music n' dancin' and all otha' sorts of things, but there was somethin' lurkin' in th' shad-ohs of the palace.

"One night, me wife and I awoke to a terrible sight, haroomph. Th' great hall of th' palace had been ravaged, and we found the culprit in th' car-ner of th' room. It was th' dragon tha' was seeled undah the palace eons ago, Aquamentus. Our best sol-jeers were no' enough to stop the beast in its rampage; our greatist wapon only managed tah stun the dragon. Soh, we seeled the beest within th' confines o' tha' great hall bafore we escaped from th' palace. Nao, we ar' but a wanderin' people in need o' a home. An' that was where th' Deku Tree said ye could 'elp."

"I felt your presence returning, Link, and so I told the Deku Chief about all that you have done for this land. He was impressed by your skills and exploits, so he decided to wait for your return. And now that you are here, I am afraid we have to ask you for your protection again," the Deku Tree groaned.

Mido stepped forward indignantly, his look of surprise having twisted into a furious scowl. "Wait a minute, Great Deku Tree! You didn't know when Link would return to the forest, and now that he's shown up, you're just going to let him have his way here?! What about all the work me and the Kokiri Guard have done in protecting everyone here?! Haven't we done enough to prove ourselves?!" he ranted.

"Mido, you would do well to hold your tongue," said the Deku Tree. "You know as well as I do that you would not nearly stand a chance against this beast. I cannot risk-"

"No!" Mido shouted. "I'm the one who has the Kokiri Sword now! I've been training for years so that I could be the hero this forest needed, but you still won't let me fight!"

"I will not risk your life, Mido!" the Deku Tree exclaimed. "You are important to the forest in more ways than you can imagine. If you are to die here, then I fear for the future of these woods."

The impudent Kokiri boy began to back down, his head drooping and his fists quaking with pent-up anger. "I realize this is difficult for you, Mido, but you are not to follow Link into those woods when he leaves. Do you understand?" asked the Deku Tree.

"Yes…sir," he mumbled. Mido turned and began to stomp away, leaving the meeting behind. His fairy remained behind for a brief moment before flying away to his master; Link could feel the creature glaring at him.

The Deku Tree sighed. "I cannot begin to understand that boy. Not in the least. But he will see, with time, just how crucial his role in this forest is. Link, I do apologize for that and for what I ask of you. You have only just returned to your home, yet…forgive me, Link."

"Don't worry," said Link as he stepped forward. "I would give my life to protecting this forest. These woods are my home; the children are my people. If I were to abandon everyone now, I would not be able to live with myself. I'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Splendad!" cheered Koa. "Ah cannae than' ya enough!"

"Saria shall show you the way to the palace come tomorrow, is that all right?" asked the Deku Tree.

"That's fine," Link replied.

"Thank you Link, a thousand times over," said the Deku Tree. "Go with the fortune of the goddesses upon you."

***

The rest of the day had passed by without event. Link had gone to roam about the village, to see what had changed and what had remained the same. Many houses were filled with Kokiri and Deku alike, both united by in their fear of the menace that was Aquamentus. Mido had not reappeared at all, and Link was concerned: he knew that when Mido got worked up, there was no telling what he might do. He could only hope that Mido wouldn't try to enter into the Lost Woods by himself.

As the sun began to set, Link was sitting upon the balcony of his old home. He still had yet to go inside, as it felt like something was keeping him from going in. So he sat and stared at the sky through the tops of the trees, watching the clouds turn a brilliant red and orange. And he was all by himself until he heard a voice call out to him.

"Link, hello!"

He looked down to the road and saw Saria running up to him. She climbed up the ladder to his house and took a seat beside Link, smiling at him the whole time. Neither one of them spoke for a time, until the green-haired girl said, "It's great that you've come back. We were all beginning to worry, y'know."

"I'm sorry if I made you worry," said Link.

"Don't be. You're here now, and you're safe; that's all that matters. You couldn't have picked a worse time to come home though. I feel terrible that we have to make you do this even though you've just come back," said Saria with a bowed head. Her smile began to droop.

"And I'm sorry for Mido, what he said. Ever since you left, he's been trying to prove himself to the Deku Tree and to all of us. When Princess Zelda decided to bring together all the tribes of Hyrule, Mido opted to form the Kokiri guard; when the Lost Woods became infested with gohmas, he was the one who destroyed their nest. I think that seeing you come back made him feel as if all the work he's put in will come undone, that he'll just go back to being the Mido that no one really respects," said the forest girl.

"You don't need to worry, Saria. I've been through much worse while I traveled this world. Why, not long after I left Hyrule, there was a land that was to be destroyed within the course of three days if I didn't stop this powerful demon. I've seen so much, met so many people out there," Link said with a faraway look in his eyes. "But as I said before, if I turned my back on my friends here, I would not be able to live with the consequences.

"And you shouldn't apologize for Mido either. If there's one thing I learned while traveling, it's that everyone has a purpose; Mido just needs to find his, that's all. I think that he'll be fine."

A silence settled between the two friends, and they both gazed up at the sunset. Link felt the broken ocarina beneath his tattered tunic begin to tug on his conscience. He leaned forward and asked, "Saria, do you remember the ocarina you gave to me?"

"Of course," she said, her smile returning. "How could I not?"

"I have…a confession. Some time ago, while I was travelling, the ocarina was shattered when a monster charged out of the woods and attacked me. I tried to put it together again, but I couldn't fix it. It's been weighing on me for some time," Link softly said as he pulled the fractured ocarina out, "and so I felt that I should let you know about it. Please forgive me."

Saria's eyes examined the ocarina, and she took the pieces from Link's hands. She held them delicately, like she was holding a precious gem. The forest girl didn't say anything, and Link began to worry that she would cry. Instead, she gathered the pieces and placed them into a pouch on her belt, and then she turned and gazed at Link with glimmering eyes.

"Link…I can't believe that you held onto the pieces for so long. Thank you," she said as she wrapped her small arms around him. "I wondered what you would be like after all these years…but you haven't changed much, have you?" Shocked at first, Link returned the embrace, and the two held onto each other as the sky grew darker and darker.

***

When the first star of the night began to shine in the sky, Link got up from his seat and Saria followed suit. "It's getting dark, Saria," said Link. "I should probably take you back to your home."

"I'll leave in just a moment," she replied. "There's something I want to show you first."

The girl went into Link's house and began to light several lanterns that were scattered around the room. Inside, the house had not changed much: some things had been moved around, but everything was still the way he left it. The objects he had left behind were still where he had put them, yet there didn't seem to be any dust or dirt in the abode; one of the children, probably Saria, must've come in and cleaned it from time to time. The only thing noticeably different was the sword resting on the table in the center of the room.

It was without a sheath, so Link could see all the detail in the weapon. The blade itself was no longer than his arm, and when he picked it up, it felt surprisingly light. He gripped the wooden hilt firmly, feeling the leather ribbon wrapped about it with his fingers, and he slid a free hand down the sword. What made the sword, Link couldn't say, for the blade seemed to be made of a green metal he couldn't identify. Holding the sword above his head, he brought it down in a forward swing, testing its weight; he nodded sagely, as if the sword had passed a test.

"Like it?" Saria asked from her spot on Link's bed. She was giggling at her friend's swordplay the whole while.

"It's a very good sword," said Link after he tested it to the best of his ability. He slid the sword back into its brown sheath and put it back on the table. "Who made it?"

"The Deku Tree himself. He knew that you were coming back, so he used his power over the forest to create this. It's been magically imbued by the magic of Farore," Saria told Link. "The Kokiri Blade is what the Deku Tree called it."

"The Kokiri Blade," Link repeated. "I like the sound of it. This should do well tomorrow morning."

The hero took the blade again, tied it to his back, and then proffered his hand to Saria. "And now it's time I made sure you get back to your home all right. We've got a big day ahead of us."

"We'll bring back the lost children, right?" asked Saria as she got up.

"I promise I won't return until they're all safe," said Link. He held up his left hand, the symbol of the Triforce showing on his skin. Saria took this as a sign of Link's promise, and she smiled and made her way out of the little house, with Link following right behind her.

***

As the moon shone down upon the quiet forest, Fado tiptoed through the village as quickly and as silently as she could. Her home had felt deathly quiet, even with the Deku family living below her, and she wanted to be with her friend Saria. She knew that she shouldn't have been wandering around in the middle of the night, but she had been too afraid to stay in her own home. So she scurried down the path to Saria's house, her fairy Nimbl flittering away at her side. Nimbl's rosy light offered guidance for Fado, though it did little to make the forest seem lees scary. The trees and rocks that Fado and her friends would play on in the day seemed so much more monstrous in the dark, and, with the fear of the dragon, nearly everything looked like a beast of sorts.

"Fado, hurry!" the little fairy whispered. "We don't want to be found by that beast!"

"And we won't, Nimbl! I'm one of the fastest Kokiri here, and you're the fastest fairy in the whole forest," Fado murmured back.

"B-B-But—"

"Nimbl, shh!" Fado turned and put a finger to her lips, beckoning Nimbl to stay silent. The Kokiri girl glanced around, making sure that there was no one around, and then she leaned in and whispered to Nimbl, "I know you're scared about me being out here. And I am too. That's why you need to do this for me: if I get taken, you don't follow me. Don't come for me; don't try to chase the dragon. Your job is to find Link, Saria and Mido, and tell them what's happened. Do you understand?"

"Fado…" the fairy replied, "what if something bad happens to you? It'll be all my fault…"

"No it won't, Nimbl. I'll be fine, don't you worry." Fado gave a smile of confidence to her fairy friend, even though, inside, she was terrified. She wouldn't let that confidence slip though, for the sake of her friend.

Before they began to head to Saria's home, they felt a warm breeze blow through the trees. Fado's eyes grew wide with fright and she began to sprint towards the house. She was forced to stop when a dense cloud of mist rolled in from over the hills obstructing her vision and making her lose all bearings. And then there came a sound like giant wings beating against the air, creating great gales of wind. Fado hesitantly stared up into the sky and saw the monstrous form of a beast silhouetted against the glowing moon. It roared and rocketed down to the earth, smashing through the tops of the trees in the process. The Kokiri girl was snatched up in the beast's talons and carried away into the air.

"FADOOOOOOO!" cried Nimbl. The rosy fairy began to fly after the dragon, but then she remembered what Fado had told her and she flew off to Saria's home in search of help. Nimbl was hardly thinking, nearly colliding into several trees and rocks before making it to the asylum she sought.

Soon after, Link and Mido were woken from their slumber by the frantic fairy, who told the three children of the forest to meet her at the entrance to the Lost Woods as soon as possible. Mido was first to arrive, being the one closest to the entrance to the woods, with Link and Saria appearing not long after. Mido was gripping his Deku Shield so tight that Link could hear the strain, and he held his sword in the same way. A scowl of anger was drawn across his face.

Link was armed with the Kokiri Blade and his new shield, and he too felt an unbridled anger. For the beast to come and snatch away Fado of all the children was enough to make Link's blood boil. He noticed that Saria was on the verge of tears and Mido also was trying to remain calm.

"They went into the Lost Woods!" cried Nimbl. "We have to hurry!"

"Lead the way to the Deku Palace, Saria," said Link. "Mido and I'll protect you."

"Right," Saria choked out as she ran ahead. "It's this way!"

The boys followed Saria with their weapons ready, unsure of what they would meet at this late hour. Their path twisted and turned as they went deeper and deeper into the woods, until they reached a point where the only light came from Nimbl's glow. All the light the moon provided was being blocked by the thick growth of trees, making the path vanish before their very eyes.

"I can't see the path!" said Saria as she tried to gain her bearings.

"Hold on, Saria! I've got a lantern with me!" shouted Mido.

"Me too," said Link.

With a flick of a switch, the lanterns began to flicker with light, illuminating the dark forest. Unfortunately, their lighting attracted a pack of keese who were hanging from the branches above them. Link tore through one after another with his impressive swordplay while Mido struck down any that came his way with brute force and power, displaying a level of talent Link had never seen before in the boy.

Once all the keese had died, the group continued on through the woods, their lanterns showing the path ahead. Twice more were they attacked by Keese and other monsters of the night, but both times the monsters were slain with ease by Link and Mido.

They soon came into a clearing that Link had never been to before. It was a greater space than the home of the Deku Tree, and the width of the clearing easily matched that of the Kokiri Forest. In the center was a structure resembling a tall tree home, not unlike the ones the children inhabited; in fact, the only difference was how the tree seemed to be dead or decaying. As he drew closer to the tree, Link saw that there was a hollowed-out entrance and above it was a message written in Hylian. It seemed like it was etched into the wood with a knife or something so sharp.

AWAY FROM THIS DEADWOOD PALACE

ALL WHO WOULD DEFY HIS WILL

"'Away from this Deadwood Palace, all who would defy his will'?" repeated Mido. "What's that mean??"

"It's a threat," Link grimaced. "Someone doesn't want us here."

"What are we going to do?" asked Saria.

Mido jumped in before Link could speak. "I'll go in there, with or without the help of Mister No-Fairy here! Don't you worry, Saria: I'm going to save everyone!" he exclaimed.

"Mido, you're staying out here with Saria," Link said authoritatively.

"WHAT?!?"

"You heard me. I need you to be here to guard Saria from whatever may come out of these woods. Saria, Mido will guard you here. I need you to wait here until I have freed all the missing Kokiri children. Nimbl, you're coming with me: it'll be your job to guide all the children back up to the surface. Do you all understand?" asked Link.

"Y-Y-Yes," Nimbl hesitantly said.

"Of course, Link," said Saria.

"Hmmph. Yeah, I guess," Mido grunted.

"All right. I'll be back before too long," said Link. "If I am not out after the sun comes up, Saria will go back to the village."

"What about me?!" Mido asked.

"You? Mido, you're going to be coming in after me. This will be your chance to be the hero."

"Really??" the little boy exclaimed.

Link nodded then said, "You all know what to do now. Nimbl, let's go." With those words, Link entered the abandoned palace with the fairy by his side. He would not see the surface again until his mission was completed.


End file.
